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Destruction by neurolytic agent w/imaging guidance lumbar/sacral (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

$7,348.20

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.

$12,247.00

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.

$197.27 with UPMC Health Plan vs $11,022.30 with Health Payors Organization — 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 $197.27 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $206.24 ↓ -97%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $265.96 ↓ -96%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $283.79 ↓ -96%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $305.63 ↓ -96%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $620.91 ↓ -92%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $694.59 ↓ -91%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $1,398.43 ↓ -81%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $1,551.94 ↓ -79%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $1,872.70 ↓ -75%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $1,910.51 ↓ -74%
Aetna of PA Medicare $1,954.82 ↓ -73%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $2,010.67 ↓ -73%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $2,010.67 ↓ -73%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $2,010.67 ↓ -73%
Aetna Medicare $2,047.90 ↓ -72%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $2,872.04 ↓ -61%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $2,891.80 ↓ -61%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $3,416.91 ↓ -54%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $3,729.21 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $3,796.57 ↓ -48%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $3,846.27 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $4,163.98 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $4,286.45 ↓ -42%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $4,602.81 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR FI $4,653.86 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $4,898.80 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $4,898.80 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $5,388.68 ↓ -27%
InterGroup PPO $6,123.50 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $7,348.20 ↑ +0%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $9,185.25 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $9,797.60 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $9,797.60 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $10,042.54 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $11,022.30 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $11,022.30 ↑ +50%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

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Destruction by neurolytic agent w/imaging guidance lumbar/sacral (both sides) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $4,192.80 $618.25 – $5,939.80
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $4,494.60 $626.83 – $6,367.35
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $2,615.40 $618.25 – $3,705.15
UPMC Northwest Seneca $4,350.00 $618.25 – $6,162.50
UPMC Somerset Somerset $2,908.20 $614.63 – $3,635.25
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $3,434.40 $618.25 – $4,579.20

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →