Cholesterol (Lipid) Test at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital

169 Martin Ave, Ephrata, PA · Wellspan · · NPI 1083615587

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$40.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$70.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$12.32 with Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare vs $61.40 with Highmark — 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
Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare All_Plans $12.32 ↓ -69%
Highmark_Medicare All_Plans $13.52 ↓ -66%
Aetna_Medicare All_Plans $13.79 ↓ -66%
Aetna_Advantra_Medicare All_Plans $13.79 ↓ -66%
Amerihealth_Caritas_Medicaid All_Plans $14.00 ↓ -65%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Complete_Care $14.06 ↓ -65%
Geisinger_Gold_Medicare All_Plans $14.06 ↓ -65%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Community_HealthChoices $14.06 ↓ -65%
United_Medicare ISNP_DSNP_Plans $14.06 ↓ -65%
Devoted_Medicare All_Plans $14.06 ↓ -65%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicare All_Plans $14.12 ↓ -65%
Amerihealth_Medicare All_Plans $14.13 ↓ -65%
Jefferson_Health_Medicare_Advantage All_Plans $14.46 ↓ -64%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicare All_Plans $14.46 ↓ -64%
Geisinger_Medicaid All_Plans $17.50 ↓ -56%
UPMC_Medicaid All_Plans $17.50 ↓ -56%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicaid All_Plans $17.50 ↓ -56%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicaid All_Plans $17.50 ↓ -56%
Health_Partners_Medicaid All_Other_Plans $17.50 ↓ -56%
Highmark Higmark_Healthy_Kids $20.79 ↓ -48%
Health_Partners_Medicaid Kidz_Partners $22.09 ↓ -45%
United_Medicaid Community_Plan_For_Kids $23.43 ↓ -41%
PHC All_Plans $28.00 ↓ -30%
Blue_Cross Capital_Cares_4_kids $31.55 ↓ -21%
WellSpan_Capital_Blue_Cross All_Plans $36.00 ↓ -10%
United_Healthcare All_Plans $40.17 ↑ +0%
Cigna All_Plans $44.67 ↑ +12%
Blue_Cross Capital_Blue_Performance_PPO $45.07 ↑ +13%
Blue_Cross All_Other_Plans $45.07 ↑ +13%
UPMC Employees_And_Dependents $45.50 ↑ +14%
Geisinger All_Plans $45.50 ↑ +14%
UPMC UPMC_For_Kids $45.50 ↑ +14%
Tower Health All_Plans $45.50 ↑ +14%
Independence_Blue_Cross All_Plans $45.50 ↑ +14%
Aetna_Better_Health_Kids All_Plans $47.60 ↑ +19%
Highmark My_Direct_Blue $49.12 ↑ +23%
Highmark My_Priority_Blue_Flex $49.12 ↑ +23%
Highmark Blue_Cross_High_Performance_Network $50.96 ↑ +27%
Highmark Performance_Blue $50.96 ↑ +27%
Highmark Choice_Blue_PPO $50.96 ↑ +27%
Aetna All_Plans $55.30 ↑ +38%
First_Health_Network All_Plans $60.79 ↑ +52%
Highmark All_Other_Plans $61.40 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cholesterol (Lipid) Test at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $143.40 $13.24 – $191.20
UPMC Bedford Everett $66.60 $4.83 – $99.90
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $87.60 $13.26 – $124.10
UPMC Cole Coudersport $97.80 $8.70 – $130.40
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $87.60 $13.26 – $109.65
UPMC East Monroeville $212.40 $13.24 – $283.20
UPMC Hamot Erie $413.40 $13.24 – $27.23
UPMC Northwest Seneca $133.20 $12.14 – $16.10

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →