Brain MRI (with and without contrast) at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
169 Martin Ave, Ephrata, PA · Wellspan · · NPI 1083615587
$701.50
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.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$2,544.00
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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$336.25 with UPMC_Medicaid vs $2,106.92 with United_Healthcare — 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 →
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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 ?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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC_Medicaid | All_Plans | $336.25 | ↓ -52% |
| Highmark_Medicare | All_Plans | $348.37 | ↓ -50% |
| Aetna_Advantra_Medicare | All_Plans | $355.27 | ↓ -49% |
| Aetna_Medicare | All_Plans | $355.27 | ↓ -49% |
| Devoted_Medicare | All_Plans | $362.17 | ↓ -48% |
| UPMC_Medicare | UPMC_for_Life_Community_HealthChoices | $362.17 | ↓ -48% |
| UPMC_Medicare | UPMC_for_Life_Complete_Care | $362.17 | ↓ -48% |
| United_Medicare | ISNP_DSNP_Plans | $362.17 | ↓ -48% |
| Geisinger_Gold_Medicare | All_Plans | $362.17 | ↓ -48% |
| Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicare | All_Plans | $363.72 | ↓ -48% |
| Amerihealth_Medicare | All_Plans | $363.89 | ↓ -48% |
| PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicare | All_Plans | $372.51 | ↓ -47% |
| Jefferson_Health_Medicare_Advantage | All_Plans | $372.51 | ↓ -47% |
| Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicaid | All_Plans | $423.75 | ↓ -40% |
| Health_Partners_Medicaid | All_Other_Plans | $423.75 | ↓ -40% |
| PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicaid | All_Plans | $423.75 | ↓ -40% |
| Geisinger_Medicaid | All_Plans | $423.75 | ↓ -40% |
| Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare | All_Plans | $447.74 | ↓ -36% |
| Amerihealth_Caritas_Medicaid | All_Plans | $481.38 | ↓ -31% |
| Highmark | Higmark_Healthy_Kids | $535.49 | ↓ -24% |
| Health_Partners_Medicaid | Kidz_Partners | $569.12 | ↓ -19% |
| United_Medicaid | Community_Plan_For_Kids | $603.61 | ↓ -14% |
| Blue_Cross | Capital_Blue_Performance_PPO | $718.00 | ↑ +2% |
| WellSpan_Capital_Blue_Cross | All_Plans | $721.00 | ↑ +3% |
| Blue_Cross | Capital_Cares_4_kids | $1,146.48 | ↑ +63% |
| Aetna_Better_Health_Kids | All_Plans | $1,152.60 | ↑ +64% |
| Highmark | My_Direct_Blue | $1,265.37 | ↑ +80% |
| Highmark | My_Priority_Blue_Flex | $1,265.37 | ↑ +80% |
| Highmark | Performance_Blue | $1,312.80 | ↑ +87% |
| Highmark | Choice_Blue_PPO | $1,312.80 | ↑ +87% |
| Highmark | Blue_Cross_High_Performance_Network | $1,312.80 | ↑ +87% |
| Cigna | All_Plans | $1,373.76 | ↑ +96% |
| Aetna | All_Plans | $1,477.00 | ↑ +111% |
| Highmark | All_Other_Plans | $1,581.70 | ↑ +125% |
| First_Health_Network | All_Plans | $1,624.00 | ↑ +132% |
| Blue_Cross | All_Other_Plans | $1,637.83 | ↑ +133% |
| Tower Health | All_Plans | $1,653.60 | ↑ +136% |
| UPMC | Employees_And_Dependents | $1,653.60 | ↑ +136% |
| Independence_Blue_Cross | All_Plans | $1,653.60 | ↑ +136% |
| Geisinger | All_Plans | $1,653.60 | ↑ +136% |
| UPMC | UPMC_For_Kids | $1,653.60 | ↑ +136% |
| PHC | All_Plans | $1,780.80 | ↑ +154% |
| United_Healthcare | All_Plans | $2,106.92 | ↑ +200% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Brain MRI (with and without contrast) at other Pennsylvania hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Altoona | Altoona | $2,604.00 | $269.00 – $3,472.00 |
| UPMC Bedford | Everett | $2,884.20 | $122.85 – $4,326.30 |
| UPMC Carlisle | Carlisle | $2,854.80 | $338.22 – $4,044.30 |
| UPMC Cole | Coudersport | $1,909.80 | $355.95 – $2,546.40 |
| UPMC Community Osteopathic | Harrisburg | $2,854.80 | $347.79 – $4,044.30 |
| UPMC East | Monroeville | $6,218.40 | $341.40 – $8,291.20 |
| UPMC Hamot | Erie | $7,916.40 | $281.64 – $2,610.88 |
| UPMC Northwest | Seneca | $3,827.40 | $308.78 – $2,417.12 |