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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at UPMC Mercy

1400 Locust Street, Pittsburgh, PA · UPMC · · NPI 163914308

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

$214.80

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.

$358.00

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.

$46.59 with UPMC Health Plan vs $2,480.35 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 $46.59 ↓ -78%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $48.70 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $52.85 ↓ -75%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $62.81 ↓ -71%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $67.01 ↓ -69%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $72.17 ↓ -66%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $99.88 ↓ -54%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $109.01 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $110.98 ↓ -48%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $116.34 ↓ -46%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $119.02 ↓ -45%
Cigna New Business ASO $121.72 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $125.30 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $136.04 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $143.20 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $143.20 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $157.52 ↓ -27%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $159.38 ↓ -26%
InterGroup PPO $179.00 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $214.80 ↑ +0%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $244.44 ↑ +14%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $268.50 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $286.40 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $286.40 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $293.56 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $322.20 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $322.20 ↑ +50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $327.35 ↑ +52%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $550.37 ↑ +156%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $677.53 ↑ +215%
Aetna of PA Medicare $693.24 ↑ +223%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $713.05 ↑ +232%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $713.05 ↑ +232%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $713.05 ↑ +232%
Aetna Medicare $726.25 ↑ +238%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $1,371.10 ↑ +538%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $2,480.35 ↑ +1055%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $268.80 $46.59 – $726.25
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $625.80 $46.59 – $931.20
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $677.40 $46.59 – $959.65
UPMC Muncy Muncy $943.20 $46.59 – $1,257.60
UPMC Northwest Seneca $336.60 $46.59 – $693.24
UPMC Somerset Somerset $948.00 $46.59 – $1,185.00
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $1,140.80 $46.59 – $1,283.40
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $943.20 $46.59 – $1,257.60

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →