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Ultrasound guide tissue ablation 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

$1,058.40

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.

$1,764.00

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.

$194.29 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $1,499.40 with InterGroup — 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 Medicare Advantage $194.29 ↓ -82%
Aetna CHIP/Medicaid $317.52 ↓ -70%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $354.71 ↓ -66%
Multiplan Worker's Compensation $412.45 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare $441.00 ↓ -58%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $481.63 ↓ -54%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $644.96 ↓ -39%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $827.14 ↓ -22%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $882.00 ↓ -17%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $908.42 ↓ -14%
Geisinger Medicaid/CHIP $970.20 ↓ -8%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $1,146.60 ↑ +8%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $1,216.60 ↑ +15%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $1,234.80 ↑ +17%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $1,289.92 ↑ +22%
Fidelis Medicare $1,323.00 ↑ +25%
InterGroup InterGroup Services Corporation $1,323.00 ↑ +25%
Health Coalition Partners Intergroup $1,411.20 ↑ +33%
Multiplan PPO $1,411.20 ↑ +33%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $1,411.20 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $1,411.20 ↑ +33%
Health Payors Organization Commercial $1,499.40 ↑ +42%
Humana Commercial $1,499.40 ↑ +42%
InterGroup Approved National Affiliated PPO Business $1,499.40 ↑ +42%

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound guide tissue ablation at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Somerset Somerset $649.80 $190.51 – $812.25
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $1,161.00 $308.19 – $1,548.00

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →