5% dextrose and 0.45% saline at UPMC McKeesport

1500 Fifth Avenue, Mckeesport, PA · UPMC · · NPI 104370353

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 6, 2026 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$94.40

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.

$118.00

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.

$8.82 with Aetna vs $140.14 with UPMC Health Plan — 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 Medicare $8.82 ↓ -91%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $25.11 ↓ -73%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $32.63 ↓ -65%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $40.95 ↓ -57%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $44.49 ↓ -53%
Aetna EBR FI $44.84 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $45.43 ↓ -52%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $45.43 ↓ -52%
Aetna EBR ASO $47.20 ↓ -50%
Cigna Commercial $47.20 ↓ -50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $48.85 ↓ -48%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $49.24 ↓ -48%
InterGroup PPO $59.00 ↓ -38%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $59.00 ↓ -38%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $64.90 ↓ -31%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $65.42 ↓ -31%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $65.94 ↓ -30%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $68.04 ↓ -28%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $70.80 ↓ -25%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $82.60 ↓ -13%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $94.40 ↑ +0%
SelectCare Commercial $94.40 ↑ +0%
Humana Commercial $100.30 ↑ +6%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $140.14 ↑ +48%

Visitor-reported prices

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5% dextrose and 0.45% saline at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $79.20 $24.87 – $79.20
UPMC Bedford Everett $74.20 $23.19 – $83.47
UPMC East Monroeville $148.80 $22.25 – $148.80
UPMC Hamot Erie $100.80 $9.01 – $9.01
UPMC Northwest Seneca $74.40 $33.58 – $82.33
UPMC Horizon-Greenville Greenville $70.20 $32.97 – $68.04
UPMC Jameson New Castle $42.00 $8.02 – $68.04
UPMC Magee Pittsburgh $96.60 $8.87 – $68.04

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →