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Str markers spec anal addl 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

$1,683.00

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.

$2,805.00

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.

$192.66 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $2,524.50 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
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $192.66 ↓ -89%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $254.09 ↓ -85%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $290.97 ↓ -83%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $301.26 ↓ -82%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $304.81 ↓ -82%
UPMC Health Plan EPO Partners/EPO Select Plan/HMO $312.80 ↓ -81%
Aetna of PA Medicare $320.05 ↓ -81%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $329.19 ↓ -80%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $329.19 ↓ -80%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $329.19 ↓ -80%
Aetna Medicare $335.29 ↓ -80%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $389.64 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $459.90 ↓ -73%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $615.91 ↓ -63%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $782.60 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $854.12 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $869.55 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $953.70 ↓ -43%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $981.75 ↓ -42%
Bravo Medicare $981.75 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $1,065.90 ↓ -37%
Cigna Commercial $1,122.00 ↓ -33%
Aetna EBR ASO $1,122.00 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $1,234.20 ↓ -27%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $1,262.25 ↓ -25%
InterGroup PPO $1,402.50 ↓ -17%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $1,542.75 ↓ -8%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $1,683.00 ↑ +0%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $2,103.75 ↑ +25%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $2,244.00 ↑ +33%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $2,244.00 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $2,300.10 ↑ +37%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $2,524.50 ↑ +50%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $2,524.50 ↑ +50%

Visitor-reported prices

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Str markers spec anal addl at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $1,683.00 $194.50 – $1,791.80

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →