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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/inj major joint/bursa without Ultrasound guidance (both sides) at UPMC Passavant-McCandless

9100 Babcock Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA · UPMC · · NPI 1225047699

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 7, 2026 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$361.80

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.

$603.00

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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$18.77 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $512.55 with Humana — 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 $18.77 ↓ -95%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $25.85 ↓ -93%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families Unison Kids $27.02 ↓ -93%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $30.05 ↓ -92%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $34.85 ↓ -90%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $36.69 ↓ -90%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $40.05 ↓ -89%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $41.78 ↓ -88%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $52.08 ↓ -86%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $55.95 ↓ -85%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $69.75 ↓ -81%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $111.91 ↓ -69%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $116.93 ↓ -68%
Private Health Care Systems Workers' Comp $135.97 ↓ -62%
Cigna New Business ASO $205.02 ↓ -43%
Cigna Commercial $241.20 ↓ -33%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $261.53 ↓ -28%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Commercial $278.59 ↓ -23%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Medicare $281.43 ↓ -22%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Medicaid $281.43 ↓ -22%
United Healthcare Unison Advantage Non Special Needs $295.50 ↓ -18%
Aetna of PA Medicare $295.50 ↓ -18%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $303.92 ↓ -16%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $303.94 ↓ -16%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $303.94 ↓ -16%
Aetna Medicare $309.57 ↓ -14%
United Healthcare Unison Advantage Special Needs $309.57 ↓ -14%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $422.10 ↑ +17%
InterGroup PPO $500.49 ↑ +38%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $512.55 ↑ +42%
Multiplan PPO (Includes Workers' Comp) $512.55 ↑ +42%
Humana Commercial $512.55 ↑ +42%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/inj major joint/bursa without Ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $855.00 $18.59 – $1,282.50
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $303.00 $18.77 – $931.20
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $337.20 $18.77 – $477.70
UPMC Muncy Muncy $1,473.60 $25.85 – $1,964.80
UPMC Northwest Seneca $366.60 $25.85 – $519.35
UPMC Somerset Somerset $453.60 $18.40 – $892.40
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $1,473.60 $12.69 – $993.28
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $1,473.60 $25.85 – $993.28

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →