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Head CT scan (with and without contrast) 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

$3,154.20

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.

$5,257.00

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.

$157.31 with UPMC Health Plan vs $4,468.45 with Humana — 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 Health Plan Managed Medicare $157.31 ↓ -95%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $174.10 ↓ -94%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $174.96 ↓ -94%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $174.96 ↓ -94%
Aetna of PA Medicare $178.21 ↓ -94%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $183.30 ↓ -94%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $183.30 ↓ -94%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $183.30 ↓ -94%
Aetna Medicare $186.69 ↓ -94%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $235.87 ↓ -93%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $248.29 ↓ -92%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $271.05 ↓ -91%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $336.41 ↓ -89%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $383.03 ↓ -88%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $801.68 ↓ -75%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $823.15 ↓ -74%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $1,073.65 ↓ -66%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $1,191.34 ↓ -62%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $1,444.05 ↓ -54%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $1,824.18 ↓ -42%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $1,933.98 ↓ -39%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $1,981.89 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR FI $1,997.66 ↓ -37%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $2,023.94 ↓ -36%
Cigna New Business ASO $2,023.94 ↓ -36%
Cigna Commercial $2,102.80 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $2,102.80 ↓ -33%
InterGroup PPO $2,628.50 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $3,154.20 ↑ +0%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $3,679.90 ↑ +17%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $4,205.60 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $4,205.60 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $4,468.45 ↑ +42%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Head CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC East Monroeville $3,242.40 $170.18 – $4,323.20
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $2,953.20 $157.72 – $4,183.70
UPMC Hamot Erie $3,598.20 $146.43 – $4,197.90
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $1,294.80 $131.00 – $1,834.30
UPMC Altoona Altoona $1,420.20 $100.00 – $1,893.60
UPMC Bedford Everett $957.60 $61.23 – $1,436.40
UPMC Cole Coudersport $1,671.60 $167.00 – $2,228.80
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $1,300.20 $131.00 – $1,834.30

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →