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CT thorax low dose for lung screening without contrast 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

$536.40

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.

$894.00

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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$69.13 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $759.90 with Humana — 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 Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $69.13 ↓ -87%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $87.53 ↓ -84%
Aetna of PA Medicare $106.45 ↓ -80%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $109.48 ↓ -80%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $109.49 ↓ -80%
Aetna Medicare $111.52 ↓ -79%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $126.49 ↓ -76%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $126.49 ↓ -76%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $153.92 ↓ -71%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $166.48 ↓ -69%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $170.53 ↓ -68%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $179.51 ↓ -67%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $195.97 ↓ -63%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $200.09 ↓ -63%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $206.14 ↓ -62%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $225.29 ↓ -58%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $244.96 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $250.32 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $250.32 ↓ -53%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $267.97 ↓ -50%
Aetna EBR FI $339.72 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $357.60 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $357.60 ↓ -33%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $361.34 ↓ -33%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $412.28 ↓ -23%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $625.80 ↑ +17%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $715.20 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $715.20 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $759.90 ↑ +42%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare East Region not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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CT thorax low dose for lung screening without contrast at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $645.60 $69.13 – $914.60
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $570.60 $69.13 – $808.35
UPMC Muncy Muncy $253.20 $63.30 – $337.60
UPMC Northwest Seneca $666.60 $91.94 – $944.35
UPMC Somerset Somerset $190.20 $67.79 – $166.48
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $306.40 $68.94 – $344.70
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $253.20 $93.93 – $337.60

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →