Observation direct referral from physician office for admission 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

$130.20

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.

$217.00

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.

$31.88 with UPMC Health Plan vs $4,712.18 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
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $31.88 ↓ -76%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $31.88 ↓ -76%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $75.30 ↓ -42%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $81.81 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR FI $82.46 ↓ -37%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $83.55 ↓ -36%
Cigna New Business ASO $83.55 ↓ -36%
Cigna Commercial $86.80 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $86.80 ↓ -33%
InterGroup PPO $108.50 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $130.20 ↑ +0%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $151.90 ↑ +17%
SelectCare Commercial $173.60 ↑ +33%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $173.60 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $184.45 ↑ +42%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $318.00 ↑ +144%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $541.79 ↑ +316%
Aetna of PA Medicare $613.75 ↑ +371%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $631.28 ↑ +385%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $631.28 ↑ +385%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $631.28 ↑ +385%
Aetna Medicare $642.97 ↑ +394%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $2,137.42 ↑ +1542%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $2,137.43 ↑ +1542%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $2,569.10 ↑ +1873%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $2,965.76 ↑ +2178%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $4,712.18 ↑ +3519%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital —
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp not published by hospital —
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $117.00 $27.00 – $2,064.00
UPMC Bedford Everett $166.20 $31.88 – $2,207.16
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $420.00 $95.90 – $2,064.00
UPMC Cole Coudersport $84.00 $38.81 – $112.00
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $420.00 $169.40 – $3,000.00
UPMC East Monroeville $130.20 $31.88 – $2,207.16
UPMC Hamot Erie $138.60 $674.61 – $728.58
UPMC Northwest Seneca $112.80 $31.88 – $631.28

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →