Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at UPMC Presbyterian

200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA · UPMC · · NPI 119473412

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 6, 2026 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$141.00

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.

$235.00

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.

$31.88 with UPMC Health Plan vs $5,119.15 with UPMC Health Plan — 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
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $31.88 ↓ -77%
Aetna CHIP/Medicaid $42.30 ↓ -70%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $152.75 ↑ +8%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $164.50 ↑ +17%
Fidelis Medicare $176.25 ↑ +25%
InterGroup InterGroup Services Corporation $176.25 ↑ +25%
Health Coalition Partners Intergroup $188.00 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $188.00 ↑ +33%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $188.00 ↑ +33%
Multiplan PPO $188.00 ↑ +33%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $199.75 ↑ +42%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $199.75 ↑ +42%
Humana Commercial $199.75 ↑ +42%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $631.28 ↑ +348%
Cigna Lifesource Medicare Transplant $631.28 ↑ +348%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $631.28 ↑ +348%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $631.28 ↑ +348%
United Healthcare Medicare $631.28 ↑ +348%
Aetna Medicare $642.97 ↑ +356%
Aetna of PA Medicare $642.97 ↑ +356%
Health Partners Plans (Jefferson Health Plan) Medicaid/CHIP $2,064.00 ↑ +1364%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $2,137.42 ↑ +1416%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $2,137.43 ↑ +1416%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $2,207.16 ↑ +1465%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $2,569.10 ↑ +1722%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $5,119.15 ↑ +3531%
Tricare East Region not published by hospital —
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp not published by hospital —
Multiplan Worker's Compensation not published by hospital —
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Magee Pittsburgh $126.60 $26.56 – $642.97
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $85.20 $26.56 – $642.97
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $138.00 $31.88 – $642.97
UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh $133.20 $31.88 – $642.97
UPMC Altoona Altoona $117.00 $27.00 – $2,064.00
UPMC Bedford Everett $166.20 $31.88 – $2,207.16
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $420.00 $95.90 – $2,064.00
UPMC Cole Coudersport $84.00 $38.81 – $112.00

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →