Ultrasound spinal canal and contents 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

$320.80

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.

$401.00

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.

$63.73 with UPMC_Medicaid vs $602.31 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 →

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 $63.73 ↓ -80%
Blue_Cross_BlueJourney_Medicare All_Plans $70.58 ↓ -78%
Highmark_Medicare All_Plans $103.73 ↓ -68%
Aetna_Advantra_Medicare All_Plans $105.78 ↓ -67%
Aetna_Medicare All_Plans $105.78 ↓ -67%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Complete_Care $107.84 ↓ -66%
United_Medicare ISNP_DSNP_Plans $107.84 ↓ -66%
Devoted_Medicare All_Plans $107.84 ↓ -66%
Geisinger_Gold_Medicare All_Plans $107.84 ↓ -66%
UPMC_Medicare UPMC_for_Life_Community_HealthChoices $107.84 ↓ -66%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicare All_Plans $108.30 ↓ -66%
Amerihealth_Medicare All_Plans $108.35 ↓ -66%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicare All_Plans $110.92 ↓ -65%
Jefferson_Health_Medicare_Advantage All_Plans $110.92 ↓ -65%
PA_Health_&_Wellness_Medicaid All_Plans $127.05 ↓ -60%
Health_Partners_Medicaid All_Other_Plans $127.05 ↓ -60%
Geisinger_Medicaid All_Plans $127.05 ↓ -60%
Highmark_Wholecare_Gateway_Medicaid All_Plans $127.05 ↓ -60%
Amerihealth_Caritas_Medicaid All_Plans $144.33 ↓ -55%
Highmark Higmark_Healthy_Kids $159.44 ↓ -50%
Health_Partners_Medicaid Kidz_Partners $169.46 ↓ -47%
WellSpan_Capital_Blue_Cross All_Plans $170.00 ↓ -47%
United_Medicaid Community_Plan_For_Kids $179.73 ↓ -44%
Blue_Cross Capital_Cares_4_kids $180.71 ↓ -44%
Cigna All_Plans $216.54 ↓ -33%
Blue_Cross Capital_Blue_Performance_PPO $258.16 ↓ -20%
Blue_Cross All_Other_Plans $258.16 ↓ -20%
Tower Health All_Plans $260.65 ↓ -19%
UPMC Employees_And_Dependents $260.65 ↓ -19%
UPMC UPMC_For_Kids $260.65 ↓ -19%
Geisinger All_Plans $260.65 ↓ -19%
Independence_Blue_Cross All_Plans $260.65 ↓ -19%
PHC All_Plans $280.70 ↓ -13%
Aetna All_Plans $310.37 ↓ -3%
First_Health_Network All_Plans $341.25 ↑ +6%
Aetna_Better_Health_Kids All_Plans $345.58 ↑ +8%
Highmark My_Priority_Blue_Flex $376.77 ↑ +17%
Highmark My_Direct_Blue $376.77 ↑ +17%
Highmark Blue_Cross_High_Performance_Network $390.89 ↑ +22%
Highmark Choice_Blue_PPO $390.89 ↑ +22%
Highmark Performance_Blue $390.89 ↑ +22%
Highmark All_Other_Plans $470.95 ↑ +47%
United_Healthcare All_Plans $602.31 ↑ +88%

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound spinal canal and contents at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $777.00 $50.98 – $1,036.00
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $394.20 $66.78 – $558.45
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $394.20 $66.78 – $558.45
UPMC Hamot Erie $430.80 $111.80 – $310.70
UPMC Northwest Seneca $354.00 $91.94 – $295.68
UPMC Hanover Hanover $394.20 $66.78 – $309.43
UPMC Horizon-Greenville Greenville $602.40 $90.77 – $295.68
UPMC Jameson New Castle $595.80 $58.63 – $295.68

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →