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Injection(s) diagnostic/therapeutic agent facet cervical/thoracic single level 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

$1,656.60

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.

$2,761.00

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.

$94.12 with UPMC Health Plan vs $2,484.90 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 $94.12 ↓ -94%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA Medicaid $98.39 ↓ -94%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $126.89 ↓ -92%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $135.39 ↓ -92%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $145.81 ↓ -91%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $304.82 ↓ -82%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $322.46 ↓ -81%
Aetna Medicare $690.25 ↓ -58%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $707.54 ↓ -57%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $726.26 ↓ -56%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $770.32 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $840.72 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $855.91 ↓ -48%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $871.02 ↓ -47%
Aetna of PA Medicare $891.22 ↓ -46%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $916.68 ↓ -45%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $916.68 ↓ -45%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $916.68 ↓ -45%
Cigna New Business ASO $938.74 ↓ -43%
Bravo Medicare $966.35 ↓ -42%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $972.56 ↓ -41%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $1,005.07 ↓ -39%
Aetna EBR FI $1,049.18 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $1,104.40 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $1,104.40 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $1,214.84 ↓ -27%
InterGroup PPO $1,380.50 ↓ -17%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $1,491.56 ↓ -10%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $1,599.75 ↓ -3%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $1,656.60 ↑ +0%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $1,997.52 ↑ +21%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $2,070.75 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $2,208.80 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $2,208.80 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $2,264.02 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $2,484.90 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $2,484.90 ↑ +50%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Injection(s) diagnostic/therapeutic agent facet cervical/thoracic single level at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $1,322.40 $268.69 – $1,870.00
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $3,157.80 $304.82 – $4,473.55
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $1,957.80 $268.69 – $2,773.55
UPMC Northwest Seneca $2,110.80 $268.69 – $2,990.30
UPMC Somerset Somerset $1,456.20 $268.69 – $1,820.25
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $2,481.60 $268.69 – $3,308.80

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →