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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site 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

$79.80

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$133.00

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.

$23.04 with UPMC Health Plan vs $856.70 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
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $23.04 ↓ -71%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $37.11 ↓ -53%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $37.21 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $40.50 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $41.23 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $45.22 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $46.55 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $50.54 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $53.20 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $53.20 ↓ -33%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $56.20 ↓ -30%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $58.52 ↓ -27%
InterGroup PPO $66.50 ↓ -17%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $74.66 ↓ -6%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $75.26 ↓ -6%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $78.05 ↓ -2%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $79.80 ↑ +0%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $83.50 ↑ +5%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $88.83 ↑ +11%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $99.75 ↑ +25%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $100.65 ↑ +26%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $106.40 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $106.40 ↑ +33%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $107.40 ↑ +35%
National Provider Network PPO $109.06 ↑ +37%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $115.66 ↑ +45%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $118.96 ↑ +49%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $119.70 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $119.70 ↑ +50%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $160.40 ↑ +101%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $649.22 ↑ +714%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $778.82 ↑ +876%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $799.23 ↑ +902%
Aetna of PA Medicare $817.76 ↑ +925%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $841.13 ↑ +954%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $841.13 ↑ +954%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $841.13 ↑ +954%
Aetna Medicare $856.70 ↑ +974%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $144.60 $23.17 – $856.70
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $426.00 $19.21 – $856.70
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $145.80 $23.23 – $817.76
UPMC Muncy Muncy $176.40 $20.49 – $235.20
UPMC Northwest Seneca $231.60 $23.18 – $817.76
UPMC Somerset Somerset $1,472.40 $18.41 – $1,840.50
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $213.60 $20.49 – $240.30
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $176.40 $20.49 – $235.20

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →