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Bundled special stain group 2 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

$56.40

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.

$94.00

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.

$6.25 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $135.18 with Aetna — 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
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $6.25 ↓ -89%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $6.47 ↓ -89%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $9.43 ↓ -83%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $12.63 ↓ -78%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $14.91 ↓ -74%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $19.97 ↓ -65%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $23.46 ↓ -58%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $26.23 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $28.62 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $29.14 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $31.96 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $32.90 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $35.72 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $37.60 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $37.60 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $41.36 ↓ -27%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $41.63 ↓ -26%
InterGroup PPO $47.00 ↓ -17%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $56.11 ↓ -1%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $56.40 ↑ +0%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $58.66 ↑ +4%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $70.50 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $75.20 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $75.20 ↑ +33%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $75.65 ↑ +34%
National Provider Network PPO $77.08 ↑ +37%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $80.72 ↑ +43%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $84.60 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $84.60 ↑ +50%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $86.93 ↑ +54%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $102.44 ↑ +82%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $122.89 ↑ +118%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $126.11 ↑ +124%
Aetna of PA Medicare $129.03 ↑ +129%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $132.72 ↑ +135%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $132.72 ↑ +135%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $132.72 ↑ +135%
Aetna Medicare $135.18 ↑ +140%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Bundled special stain group 2 at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $229.80 $6.31 – $135.18
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $557.40 $6.31 – $135.18
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $114.60 $6.31 – $162.35
UPMC Muncy Muncy $237.60 $41.44 – $316.80
UPMC Northwest Seneca $67.20 $6.51 – $129.03
UPMC Somerset Somerset $78.60 $6.18 – $65.45
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $287.20 $35.64 – $178.20
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $237.60 $41.44 – $316.80

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →