Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance 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

$1,439.40

Cash price

?

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.

$2,399.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$80.72 with UPMC Health Plan vs $2,039.15 with Humana — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $80.72 ↓ -94%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $80.72 ↓ -94%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $108.82 ↓ -92%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $114.55 ↓ -92%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $125.05 ↓ -91%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $143.76 ↓ -90%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $300.89 ↓ -79%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $307.62 ↓ -79%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $402.96 ↓ -72%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $541.98 ↓ -62%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $611.97 ↓ -57%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $677.26 ↓ -53%
Aetna of PA Medicare $693.24 ↓ -52%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $713.05 ↓ -50%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $713.05 ↓ -50%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $713.05 ↓ -50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $725.86 ↓ -50%
Aetna Medicare $726.25 ↓ -50%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $832.45 ↓ -42%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $904.42 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR FI $911.62 ↓ -37%
Cigna New Business ASO $923.62 ↓ -36%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $923.62 ↓ -36%
Aetna EBR ASO $959.60 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $959.60 ↓ -33%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $1,035.31 ↓ -28%
InterGroup PPO $1,199.50 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $1,439.40 ↑ +0%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $1,679.30 ↑ +17%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $1,901.14 ↑ +32%
SelectCare Commercial $1,919.20 ↑ +33%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $1,919.20 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $2,039.15 ↑ +42%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital —
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Altoona Altoona $1,360.20 $73.38 – $1,813.60
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $2,461.20 $93.19 – $3,486.70
UPMC Cole Coudersport $126.00 $58.21 – $771.51
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $2,461.20 $93.19 – $3,486.70
UPMC East Monroeville $1,439.40 $80.72 – $1,919.20
UPMC Hamot Erie $1,505.40 $80.72 – $960.26
UPMC Northwest Seneca $1,439.40 $80.72 – $693.24
UPMC Hanover Hanover $2,461.20 $93.19 – $1,058.50

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →