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Immunofixation electrophoresis serum 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

$349.80

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.

$583.00

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.

$19.29 with UPMC Health Plan vs $495.55 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
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $19.29 ↓ -94%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $22.08 ↓ -94%
Aetna of PA Medicare $23.46 ↓ -93%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $24.12 ↓ -93%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $24.13 ↓ -93%
Aetna Medicare $24.57 ↓ -93%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $30.80 ↓ -91%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $30.80 ↓ -91%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $36.98 ↓ -89%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $41.52 ↓ -88%
Highmark BCBS of PA Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage $43.57 ↓ -88%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $43.71 ↓ -88%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $47.72 ↓ -86%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $75.74 ↓ -78%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $101.44 ↓ -71%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $126.11 ↓ -64%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $146.92 ↓ -58%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $159.74 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $163.24 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $163.24 ↓ -53%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $168.90 ↓ -52%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $202.88 ↓ -42%
Aetna EBR FI $221.54 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $233.20 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $233.20 ↓ -33%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $408.10 ↑ +17%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $466.40 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $466.40 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $495.55 ↑ +42%

Visitor-reported prices

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Immunofixation electrophoresis serum at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $168.60 $20.76 – $238.85
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $241.20 $18.62 – $361.80
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $1,809.60 $22.08 – $2,563.60
UPMC Muncy Muncy $219.60 $22.08 – $292.80
UPMC Northwest Seneca $114.00 $20.26 – $158.10
UPMC Somerset Somerset $126.60 $22.08 – $156.00
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $265.60 $22.08 – $298.80
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $219.60 $22.08 – $292.80

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →