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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at UPMC St. Margaret

815 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA · UPMC · · NPI 1790795359

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

$677.40

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.

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

$1,129.00

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.

$46.59 with UPMC Health Plan vs $1,432.98 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 $46.59 ↓ -93%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $46.59 ↓ -93%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $53.35 ↓ -92%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $62.81 ↓ -91%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $66.11 ↓ -90%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $72.17 ↓ -89%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $105.38 ↓ -84%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $118.78 ↓ -82%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $154.41 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $159.08 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $206.80 ↓ -69%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $284.51 ↓ -58%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $309.35 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $316.12 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $316.12 ↓ -53%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $318.16 ↓ -53%
Aetna EBR FI $429.02 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $451.60 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $451.60 ↓ -33%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $570.04 ↓ -16%
Aetna of PA Medicare $693.24 ↑ +2%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $712.98 ↑ +5%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $713.05 ↑ +5%
Aetna Medicare $726.25 ↑ +7%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $790.30 ↑ +17%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $903.20 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $903.20 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $959.65 ↑ +42%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $1,432.98 ↑ +112%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare East Region not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $268.80 $46.59 – $726.25
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $214.80 $46.59 – $693.24
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $625.80 $46.59 – $931.20
UPMC Muncy Muncy $943.20 $46.59 – $1,257.60
UPMC Northwest Seneca $336.60 $46.59 – $693.24
UPMC Somerset Somerset $948.00 $46.59 – $1,185.00
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $1,140.80 $46.59 – $1,283.40
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $943.20 $46.59 – $1,257.60

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →