Pr tube thoracostomy w/connection to drainage open 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

$1,950.40

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.

$2,438.00

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.

$166.20 with UPMC_Medicaid vs $9,629.00 with First_Health_Network — 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
UPMC_Medicaid All_Plans $166.20 ↓ -91%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicaid All_Plans $166.20 ↓ -91%
Health_Partners_Medicaid All_Other_Plans $166.20 ↓ -91%
Geisinger_Medicaid All_Plans $166.20 ↓ -91%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicaid All_Plans $166.20 ↓ -91%
Amerihealth_Caritas_Medicaid All_Plans $188.80 ↓ -90%
Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare All_Plans $429.09 ↓ -78%
Aetna_Better_Health_Kids All_Plans $452.06 ↓ -77%
Blue_Cross Capital_Cares_4_kids $1,098.71 ↓ -44%
Cigna All_Plans $1,484.25 ↓ -24%
Highmark_Medicare All_Plans $1,515.31 ↓ -22%
Aetna_Medicare All_Plans $1,545.32 ↓ -21%
Aetna_Advantra_Medicare All_Plans $1,545.32 ↓ -21%
WellSpan_Capital_Blue_Cross All_Plans $1,560.32 ↓ -20%
Blue_Cross All_Other_Plans $1,569.58 ↓ -20%
Blue_Cross Capital_Blue_Performance_PPO $1,569.58 ↓ -20%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Complete_Care $1,575.33 ↓ -19%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Community_HealthChoices $1,575.33 ↓ -19%
United_Medicare ISNP_DSNP_Plans $1,575.33 ↓ -19%
Devoted_Medicare All_Plans $1,575.33 ↓ -19%
Geisinger_Gold_Medicare All_Plans $1,575.33 ↓ -19%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicare All_Plans $1,582.08 ↓ -19%
Amerihealth_Medicare All_Plans $1,582.83 ↓ -19%
UPMC Employees_And_Dependents $1,584.70 ↓ -19%
UPMC UPMC_For_Kids $1,584.70 ↓ -19%
Independence_Blue_Cross All_Plans $1,584.70 ↓ -19%
Geisinger All_Plans $1,584.70 ↓ -19%
Tower Health All_Plans $1,584.70 ↓ -19%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicare All_Plans $1,620.33 ↓ -17%
Jefferson_Health_Medicare_Advantage All_Plans $1,620.33 ↓ -17%
PHC All_Plans $1,706.60 ↓ -13%
United_Healthcare All_Plans $2,299.03 ↑ +18%
Highmark Higmark_Healthy_Kids $2,329.23 ↑ +19%
Health_Partners_Medicaid Kidz_Partners $2,475.51 ↑ +27%
United_Medicaid Community_Plan_For_Kids $2,625.54 ↑ +35%
Highmark My_Direct_Blue $5,504.04 ↑ +182%
Highmark My_Priority_Blue_Flex $5,504.04 ↑ +182%
Highmark Performance_Blue $5,710.33 ↑ +193%
Highmark Choice_Blue_PPO $5,710.33 ↑ +193%
Highmark Blue_Cross_High_Performance_Network $5,710.33 ↑ +193%
Highmark All_Other_Plans $6,879.97 ↑ +253%
Aetna All_Plans $8,754.00 ↑ +349%
First_Health_Network All_Plans $9,629.00 ↑ +394%

Visitor-reported prices

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Pr tube thoracostomy w/connection to drainage open at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $783.60 $269.64 – $1,599.50
UPMC Bedford Everett $1,419.00 $269.64 – $2,128.50
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $2,472.00 $282.18 – $3,502.00
UPMC Cole Coudersport $1,693.20 $156.06 – $1,041.88
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $2,472.00 $282.18 – $3,502.00
UPMC East Monroeville $2,393.40 $269.64 – $3,191.20
UPMC Hamot Erie $1,909.80 $269.64 – $2,154.03
UPMC Northwest Seneca $2,476.20 $269.64 – $1,599.50

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →