Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
169 Martin Ave, Ephrata, PA · Wellspan · · NPI 1083615587
$2,615.20
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.
$3,269.00
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.
$110.88 with UPMC_Medicaid vs $6,190.00 with First_Health_Network — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC_Medicaid | All_Plans | $110.88 | ↓ -96% |
| Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicaid | All_Plans | $110.88 | ↓ -96% |
| Health_Partners_Medicaid | All_Other_Plans | $110.88 | ↓ -96% |
| PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicaid | All_Plans | $110.88 | ↓ -96% |
| Geisinger_Medicaid | All_Plans | $110.88 | ↓ -96% |
| Amerihealth_Caritas_Medicaid | All_Plans | $125.95 | ↓ -95% |
| Aetna_Better_Health_Kids | All_Plans | $301.58 | ↓ -88% |
| Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare | All_Plans | $575.34 | ↓ -78% |
| Highmark_Medicare | All_Plans | $603.09 | ↓ -77% |
| Aetna_Advantra_Medicare | All_Plans | $615.03 | ↓ -76% |
| Aetna_Medicare | All_Plans | $615.03 | ↓ -76% |
| UPMC_Medicare | UPMC_for_Life_Community_HealthChoices | $626.98 | ↓ -76% |
| Devoted_Medicare | All_Plans | $626.98 | ↓ -76% |
| Geisinger_Gold_Medicare | All_Plans | $626.98 | ↓ -76% |
| United_Medicare | ISNP_DSNP_Plans | $626.98 | ↓ -76% |
| UPMC_Medicare | UPMC_for_Life_Complete_Care | $626.98 | ↓ -76% |
| Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicare | All_Plans | $629.66 | ↓ -76% |
| Amerihealth_Medicare | All_Plans | $629.96 | ↓ -76% |
| Jefferson_Health_Medicare_Advantage | All_Plans | $644.89 | ↓ -75% |
| PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicare | All_Plans | $644.89 | ↓ -75% |
| Highmark | Higmark_Healthy_Kids | $927.03 | ↓ -65% |
| Health_Partners_Medicaid | Kidz_Partners | $985.25 | ↓ -62% |
| United_Medicaid | Community_Plan_For_Kids | $1,044.96 | ↓ -60% |
| Blue_Cross | Capital_Cares_4_kids | $1,473.21 | ↓ -44% |
| Cigna | All_Plans | $1,990.17 | ↓ -24% |
| WellSpan_Capital_Blue_Cross | All_Plans | $2,092.16 | ↓ -20% |
| Blue_Cross | Capital_Blue_Performance_PPO | $2,104.58 | ↓ -20% |
| Blue_Cross | All_Other_Plans | $2,104.58 | ↓ -20% |
| Tower Health | All_Plans | $2,124.85 | ↓ -19% |
| UPMC | Employees_And_Dependents | $2,124.85 | ↓ -19% |
| UPMC | UPMC_For_Kids | $2,124.85 | ↓ -19% |
| Geisinger | All_Plans | $2,124.85 | ↓ -19% |
| Independence_Blue_Cross | All_Plans | $2,124.85 | ↓ -19% |
| Highmark | My_Priority_Blue_Flex | $2,190.59 | ↓ -16% |
| Highmark | My_Direct_Blue | $2,190.59 | ↓ -16% |
| Highmark | Choice_Blue_PPO | $2,272.70 | ↓ -13% |
| Highmark | Performance_Blue | $2,272.70 | ↓ -13% |
| Highmark | Blue_Cross_High_Performance_Network | $2,272.70 | ↓ -13% |
| PHC | All_Plans | $2,288.30 | ↓ -13% |
| Highmark | All_Other_Plans | $2,738.21 | ↑ +5% |
| United_Healthcare | All_Plans | $3,082.67 | ↑ +18% |
| Aetna | All_Plans | $5,627.00 | ↑ +115% |
| First_Health_Network | All_Plans | $6,190.00 | ↑ +137% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
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 Carlisle | Carlisle | $2,304.60 | $64.39 – $1,016.56 |
| 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 |