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Emg thor paraspinal without t1/t2 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

$152.40

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.

$254.00

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.

$23.97 with UPMC Health Plan vs $326.57 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 Managed Medicaid $23.97 ↓ -84%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $25.06 ↓ -84%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $32.31 ↓ -79%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $34.48 ↓ -77%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $37.13 ↓ -76%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $41.58 ↓ -73%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $70.87 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $77.34 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $78.74 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $86.36 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $88.90 ↓ -42%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $92.91 ↓ -39%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $93.65 ↓ -39%
Aetna EBR FI $96.52 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $101.60 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $101.60 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $111.76 ↓ -27%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $117.66 ↓ -23%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $125.41 ↓ -18%
InterGroup PPO $127.00 ↓ -17%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $152.40 ↑ +0%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $176.07 ↑ +16%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $182.23 ↑ +20%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $190.50 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $203.20 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $203.20 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $208.28 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $228.60 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $228.60 ↑ +50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $235.80 ↑ +55%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $247.48 ↑ +62%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $304.66 ↑ +100%
Aetna of PA Medicare $311.72 ↑ +105%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $320.63 ↑ +110%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $320.63 ↑ +110%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $320.63 ↑ +110%
Aetna Medicare $326.57 ↑ +114%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Emg thor paraspinal without t1/t2 at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $186.00 $9.35 – $326.57
UPMC Northwest Seneca $152.40 $23.97 – $311.72
UPMC Somerset Somerset $543.60 $8.96 – $679.50

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →