Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at UPMC Bedford

10455 Lincoln Highway, Everett, PA · UPMC · · NPI 1295724193

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published unknown · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$2,040.00

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.

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

$3,400.00

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.

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

$212.67 with Aetna of PA vs $3,060.00 with Private Health Care Systems — 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
Aetna of PA Medicare $212.67 ↓ -90%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $508.33 ↓ -75%
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage $589.44 ↓ -71%
Aetna Medicare $607.12 ↓ -70%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $608.42 ↓ -70%
United Healthcare Medicare $630.70 ↓ -69%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $636.54 ↓ -69%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $636.60 ↓ -69%
Cigna Medicare $636.60 ↓ -69%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $636.60 ↓ -69%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $863.16 ↓ -58%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $903.32 ↓ -56%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity/Managed Care - Social Mission $1,119.55 ↓ -45%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $1,221.53 ↓ -40%
Cigna EBR $1,360.00 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $1,360.00 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $1,360.00 ↓ -33%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity/Managed Care $1,379.18 ↓ -32%
Aetna EBR FI $1,666.00 ↓ -18%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $1,870.00 ↓ -8%
United Healthcare Compass Exchange $1,870.00 ↓ -8%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $1,870.00 ↓ -8%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $2,108.00 ↑ +3%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $2,165.80 ↑ +6%
Cigna NBR ASO/FI $2,210.00 ↑ +8%
United Healthcare All Business $2,210.00 ↑ +8%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $2,210.00 ↑ +8%
Cigna New Business ASO $2,210.00 ↑ +8%
InterGroup PPO $2,210.00 ↑ +8%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $2,380.00 ↑ +17%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $2,720.00 ↑ +33%
Health Coalition Partners Intergroup $3,060.00 ↑ +50%
Humana Commercial $3,060.00 ↑ +50%
SelectCare Commercial $3,060.00 ↑ +50%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $3,060.00 ↑ +50%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare TRICARE not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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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 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
UPMC Hanover Hanover $2,304.60 $584.71 – $1,221.53

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →