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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site 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

$145.80

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.

$243.00

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.

$23.23 with UPMC Health Plan vs $856.70 with Aetna — 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 Commercial $23.23 ↓ -84%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $37.57 ↓ -74%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $61.24 ↓ -58%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $65.31 ↓ -55%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $66.58 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $68.04 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $68.04 ↓ -53%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $74.66 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $74.66 ↓ -49%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $87.46 ↓ -40%
Aetna EBR FI $92.34 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $97.20 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $97.20 ↓ -33%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $100.65 ↓ -31%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $105.95 ↓ -27%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $108.73 ↓ -25%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $115.66 ↓ -21%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $142.38 ↓ -2%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $145.62 ↓ -0%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $170.10 ↑ +17%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $174.92 ↑ +20%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $194.40 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $194.40 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $206.55 ↑ +42%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $672.43 ↑ +361%
Aetna of PA Medicare $817.76 ↑ +461%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $841.05 ↑ +477%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $841.13 ↑ +477%
Aetna Medicare $856.70 ↑ +488%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare East Region not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $79.80 $23.04 – $817.76
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $144.60 $23.17 – $856.70
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $426.00 $19.21 – $856.70
UPMC Muncy Muncy $176.40 $20.49 – $235.20
UPMC Northwest Seneca $231.60 $23.18 – $817.76
UPMC Somerset Somerset $1,472.40 $18.41 – $1,840.50
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $213.60 $20.49 – $240.30
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $176.40 $20.49 – $235.20

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →