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Ultrasound guide intraoperative 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

$536.40

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.

$894.00

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.

$174.73 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $994.06 with Highmark BCBS of PA — 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 $174.73 ↓ -67%
Aetna Medicare $223.50 ↓ -58%
Bravo Medicare $223.50 ↓ -58%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $249.43 ↓ -53%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $272.22 ↓ -49%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $277.14 ↓ -48%
Cigna New Business ASO $303.96 ↓ -43%
Aetna EBR FI $339.72 ↓ -37%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $347.33 ↓ -35%
Aetna EBR ASO $357.60 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $357.60 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $393.36 ↓ -27%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $393.52 ↓ -27%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $447.00 ↓ -17%
InterGroup PPO $447.00 ↓ -17%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $491.70 ↓ -8%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $526.98 ↓ -2%
Cigna Behavioral Health Commercial $536.40 ↑ +0%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $670.50 ↑ +25%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $699.27 ↑ +30%
American Healthcare Group Commercial $715.20 ↑ +33%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $715.20 ↑ +33%
National Provider Network PPO $733.08 ↑ +37%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $742.24 ↑ +38%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $804.60 ↑ +50%
Multiplan PPO (inc. Auto and Worker's Compensation) $804.60 ↑ +50%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $994.06 ↑ +85%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound guide intraoperative at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $1,819.80 $176.39 – $2,578.05
UPMC Muncy Muncy $628.80 $157.20 – $943.20
UPMC Somerset Somerset $890.40 $172.96 – $1,113.00
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $760.00 $171.00 – $855.00
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $628.80 $282.96 – $943.20

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →