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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast 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

$804.00

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$1,340.00

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.

$39.56 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $1,139.00 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 $39.56 ↓ -95%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $88.07 ↓ -89%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $92.49 ↓ -88%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families Unison Kids $96.69 ↓ -88%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $109.79 ↓ -86%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $117.95 ↓ -85%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $124.69 ↓ -84%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $127.09 ↓ -84%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $131.26 ↓ -84%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $139.52 ↓ -83%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $143.29 ↓ -82%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $147.04 ↓ -82%
Private Health Care Systems Workers' Comp $147.78 ↓ -82%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $157.72 ↓ -80%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Medicare $169.72 ↓ -79%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Medicaid $169.72 ↓ -79%
United Healthcare Unison Advantage Non Special Needs $178.21 ↓ -78%
Aetna of PA Medicare $178.21 ↓ -78%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $183.28 ↓ -77%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $183.30 ↓ -77%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $183.30 ↓ -77%
Aetna Medicare $186.69 ↓ -77%
United Healthcare Unison Advantage Special Needs $186.69 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $235.91 ↓ -71%
Cigna New Business ASO $455.60 ↓ -43%
Cigna Commercial $536.00 ↓ -33%
Health Plan of Upper Ohio Valley Commercial $619.08 ↓ -23%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $938.00 ↑ +17%
InterGroup PPO $1,112.20 ↑ +38%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $1,139.00 ↑ +42%
Multiplan PPO (Includes Workers' Comp) $1,139.00 ↑ +42%
Humana Commercial $1,139.00 ↑ +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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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $1,312.80 $39.56 – $1,859.80
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $779.40 $39.56 – $1,104.15
UPMC Muncy Muncy $713.40 $71.69 – $951.20
UPMC Northwest Seneca $253.20 $92.49 – $358.70
UPMC Somerset Somerset $427.80 $38.79 – $127.09
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $862.40 $71.69 – $970.20
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $712.20 $71.69 – $949.60

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →