Pegaspargase injection at UPMC Altoona
620 Howard Avenue, Altoona, PA · UPMC · · NPI 112418570
$12,652.20
Cash price Discounted cash price What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge. Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.
?
What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$21,087.00
Gross charge Gross charge (chargemaster price) The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this. Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.
?
The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$2,456.68 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $81,211.59 with United Healthcare — same scan, same building. Share
Negotiated rates by payer
?
Negotiated rate
The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.
Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.
Full explanation →
?
Negotiated rate
The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.
Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.
Full explanation →Payer ?Payer The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on. Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509. Full explanation → |
Plan ?Plan The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates. Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible. Full explanation → |
Negotiated rate | vs. cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highmark BCBS of PA | Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage | $2,456.68 | ↓ -81% |
| UPMC Work Partners | Workers Comp | $7,840.15 | ↓ -38% |
| Preferred Healthcare System | PPO | $10,543.50 | ↓ -17% |
| Cigna | Commercial | $10,543.50 | ↓ -17% |
| Aetna | Commercial | $11,176.11 | ↓ -12% |
| Geisinger | Commercial | $11,597.85 | ↓ -8% |
| Private Health Care Systems | PPO | $16,869.60 | ↑ +33% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Managed Medicaid | $17,946.95 | ↑ +42% |
| AmeriHealth Caritas | Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid | $28,424.06 | ↑ +125% |
| Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) | Medicaid | $28,424.06 | ↑ +125% |
| PA Health & Wellness | Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO | $28,424.06 | ↑ +125% |
| Geisinger | Medicaid | $28,424.06 | ↑ +125% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Managed Medicare | $28,986.86 | ↑ +129% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Partners/Select | $29,464.38 | ↑ +133% |
| UPMC Health Plan | CHIP | $29,916.22 | ↑ +136% |
| United Healthcare | Medicare | $30,413.74 | ↑ +140% |
| PA Health & Wellness | Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) | $30,697.98 | ↑ +143% |
| AmeriHealth Caritas | Medicare | $30,697.98 | ↑ +143% |
| Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) | Medicare | $30,697.98 | ↑ +143% |
| Cigna | Medicare | $30,697.98 | ↑ +143% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Commercial | $34,961.59 | ↑ +176% |
| United Healthcare | Commercial | $81,211.59 | ↑ +542% |
| US Family Health Plan | Tricare Prime | not published by hospital | — |
| Tricare | East Region | not published by hospital | — |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Pegaspargase injection at other Pennsylvania hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Hamot | Erie | $11,001.60 | $2,456.68 – $30,697.98 |
| UPMC Magee | Pittsburgh | $19,415.40 | $2,480.08 – $30,697.98 |
| UPMC Muncy | Muncy | $62,371.80 | $28,424.06 – $31,266.46 |
| UPMC Passavant-McCandless | Pittsburgh | $19,415.40 | $2,480.08 – $31,266.47 |
| UPMC Presbyterian | Pittsburgh | $19,415.40 | $2,480.08 – $31,266.47 |
| UPMC Wellsboro | Wellsboro | $62,371.80 | $28,424.06 – $31,266.46 |
| UPMC Western Psychiatric | Pittsburgh | $19,415.40 | $2,430.25 – $31,266.47 |