Observation per hour 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

$652.80

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.

$1,088.00

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 CHIP $31.88 ↓ -95%
Aetna Medicare $37.25 ↓ -94%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $51.70 ↓ -92%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $56.17 ↓ -91%
Aetna EBR FI $56.62 ↓ -91%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $57.37 ↓ -91%
Cigna New Business ASO $57.37 ↓ -91%
Aetna EBR ASO $59.60 ↓ -91%
Cigna Commercial $59.60 ↓ -91%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $74.50 ↓ -89%
InterGroup PPO $74.50 ↓ -89%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $89.40 ↓ -86%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $104.15 ↓ -84%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $104.30 ↓ -84%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $104.99 ↓ -84%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $119.20 ↓ -82%
SelectCare Commercial $119.20 ↓ -82%
Humana Commercial $126.65 ↓ -81%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $139.49 ↓ -79%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $140.60 ↓ -78%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $318.00 ↓ -51%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $1,074.19 ↑ +65%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $1,074.19 ↑ +65%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $2,137.42 ↑ +227%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $2,137.43 ↑ +227%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $2,569.10 ↑ +294%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $2,965.76 ↑ +354%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $4,712.18 ↑ +622%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation per hour at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $86.40 $27.00 – $2,137.43
UPMC Bedford Everett $580.20 $24.50 – $2,207.16
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $111.60 $25.48 – $2,137.42
UPMC Cole Coudersport $370.80 $25.50 – $2,015.60
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $111.60 $45.01 – $3,000.00
UPMC East Monroeville $516.00 $27.85 – $2,207.16
UPMC Northwest Seneca $443.40 $1,074.19 – $1,171.85
UPMC Horizon-Greenville Greenville $355.80 $31.88 – $1,074.19

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →