Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at UPMC Carlisle

361 Alexander Spring Road, Carlisle, PA · UPMC · · NPI 1689107328

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published unknown · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$2,304.60

Cash price

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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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$3,841.00

Gross charge

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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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$64.39 with Prime Net vs $3,397.00 with Cigna — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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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
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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
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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
Prime Net Managed Medicare $64.39 ↓ -97%
Capital Blue Cross Medicare Advantage $94.00 ↓ -96%
Keystone Health Plan Medicare Advantage $94.00 ↓ -96%
Prime Net Legacy Commercial $183.30 ↓ -92%
Aetna ACO $184.71 ↓ -92%
Prime Net ACO $184.71 ↓ -92%
Prime Net NonGateKeeper $218.55 ↓ -91%
Aetna Commercial $219.96 ↓ -90%
Prime Net GateKeeper $219.96 ↓ -90%
Capital Blue Cross CHIP $257.09 ↓ -89%
Keystone Health Plan Commercial $257.09 ↓ -89%
Capital Blue Cross Commercial $257.09 ↓ -89%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $258.50 ↓ -89%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $258.50 ↓ -89%
Wellspan Population Health PPO $305.50 ↓ -87%
Geisinger Commercial $307.76 ↓ -87%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $325.29 ↓ -86%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $329.00 ↓ -86%
Prime Net FH-Medical Rental $355.32 ↓ -85%
Multiplan PPO (Includes PHCS and Humana as Payers) $399.50 ↓ -83%
Highmark BCBS of PA Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage $585.53 ↓ -75%
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage $585.53 ↓ -75%
Humana Medicare $591.44 ↓ -74%
Aetna Medicare $616.87 ↓ -73%
Geisinger Medicare $621.01 ↓ -73%
Cigna Medicare $621.01 ↓ -73%
United Healthcare Medicare $632.84 ↓ -73%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $638.76 ↓ -72%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $903.30 ↓ -61%
Keystone Autism Services ACAP $946.30 ↓ -59%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $1,016.56 ↓ -56%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $1,221.53 ↓ -47%
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue PPO $1,663.48 ↓ -28%
Highmark BCBS of PA CHIP - Managed Care $1,733.87 ↓ -25%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial $1,848.31 ↓ -20%
Cigna Commercial $3,397.00 ↑ +47%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
United Healthcare Commercial not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $1,635.00 $403.71 – $2,180.00
UPMC Bedford Everett $2,040.00 $212.67 – $3,060.00
UPMC Cole Coudersport $1,092.60 $42.41 – $863.16
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $2,304.60 $94.00 – $1,221.53
UPMC East Monroeville $2,153.40 $407.56 – $2,871.20
UPMC Hamot Erie $1,974.60 $403.71 – $863.16
UPMC Northwest Seneca $1,509.00 $534.56 – $863.16
UPMC Hanover Hanover $2,304.60 $584.71 – $1,221.53

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →