healthcosts.net
Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at UPMC St. Margaret
815 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA · UPMC · · NPI 1790795359
$779.40
Cash price 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.
?
What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$1,299.00
Gross charge 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.
?
The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$39.56 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $1,104.15 with Humana — same scan, same building. Share
Negotiated rates by payer
?
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 →
?
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 ?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 ?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 | PA CHIP/PA Medicaid | $92.49 | ↓ -88% |
| Highmark BCBS of PA | Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity | $114.49 | ↓ -85% |
| 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% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Commercial | $128.36 | ↓ -84% |
| AmeriHealth Caritas | Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid | $131.26 | ↓ -83% |
| PA Health & Wellness | PA Medicaid HMO | $143.29 | ↓ -82% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Managed Medicare | $146.54 | ↓ -81% |
| Highmark BCBS of PA | Commercial - Indemnity | $153.33 | ↓ -80% |
| Aetna of PA | Medicare | $178.21 | ↓ -77% |
| Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) | Medicare | $183.28 | ↓ -76% |
| PA Health & Wellness | Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) | $183.30 | ↓ -76% |
| Aetna | Medicare | $186.69 | ↓ -76% |
| Highmark BCBS of PA | UPMC Emergent | $235.91 | ↓ -70% |
| Aetna | Neighborhood Network | $327.35 | ↓ -58% |
| Aetna | Home Depot Employer Group | $355.93 | ↓ -54% |
| Aetna | NBR ASO/FI | $363.72 | ↓ -53% |
| Cigna | New Business ASO | $363.72 | ↓ -53% |
| Aetna | EBR FI | $493.62 | ↓ -37% |
| Aetna | EBR ASO | $519.60 | ↓ -33% |
| Cigna | Commercial | $519.60 | ↓ -33% |
| Coventry/First Health | Commercial | $909.30 | ↑ +17% |
| Private Health Care Systems | PPO | $1,039.20 | ↑ +33% |
| SelectCare | Commercial | $1,039.20 | ↑ +33% |
| Humana | Commercial | $1,104.15 | ↑ +42% |
| US Family Health Plan | Tricare Prime | not published by hospital | — |
| Tricare | East Region | not published by hospital | — |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other Pennsylvania hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Passavant-McCandless | Pittsburgh | $804.00 | $39.56 – $1,139.00 |
| UPMC Presbyterian | Pittsburgh | $1,312.80 | $39.56 – $1,859.80 |
| 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 |