Interferon beta-1b / .25 mg 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

$225.60

Cash price

?

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.

$376.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$94.00 with Aetna vs $498.30 with Highmark BCBS of PA — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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
Aetna Medicare $94.00 ↓ -58%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $104.90 ↓ -54%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $114.49 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $116.56 ↓ -48%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $127.14 ↓ -44%
Cigna New Business ASO $127.84 ↓ -43%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $130.58 ↓ -42%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $131.60 ↓ -42%
Bravo Medicare $131.60 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $142.88 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $150.40 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $150.40 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $165.44 ↓ -27%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $169.20 ↓ -25%
InterGroup PPO $188.00 ↓ -17%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $188.00 ↓ -17%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $206.80 ↓ -8%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $225.60 ↑ +0%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $282.00 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $300.80 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $300.80 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $308.32 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $338.40 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $338.40 ↑ +50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $361.77 ↑ +60%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $372.05 ↑ +65%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $484.51 ↑ +115%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $498.30 ↑ +121%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Interferon beta-1b / .25 mg at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Magee Pittsburgh $585.00 $128.35 – $576.80
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $1,282.20 $128.35 – $128.35
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $1,204.80 $128.35 – $128.35

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →