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X-ray small intestine follow-through study 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

$419.40

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.

$699.00

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.

$25.43 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $594.15 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.

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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 $25.43 ↓ -94%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care - Social Mission $56.61 ↓ -87%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $70.47 ↓ -83%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $70.47 ↓ -83%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Social Mission Indemnity $73.59 ↓ -82%
Highmark BCBS of PA Managed Care $75.82 ↓ -82%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $94.89 ↓ -77%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $95.00 ↓ -77%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $96.78 ↓ -77%
Highmark BCBS of PA Commercial - Indemnity $98.56 ↓ -76%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $100.00 ↓ -76%
PA Health & Wellness PA Medicaid HMO $109.17 ↓ -74%
Highmark BCBS of PA UPMC Emergent $151.64 ↓ -64%
Aetna Medicare $174.75 ↓ -58%
Aetna Neighborhood Network $176.15 ↓ -58%
Aetna Home Depot Employer Group $191.53 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBR ASO/FI $195.72 ↓ -53%
Cigna New Business ASO $195.72 ↓ -53%
Aetna EBR FI $265.62 ↓ -37%
Aetna EBR ASO $279.60 ↓ -33%
Cigna Commercial $279.60 ↓ -33%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $349.50 ↓ -17%
Coventry/First Health Commercial $489.30 ↑ +17%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $559.20 ↑ +33%
SelectCare Commercial $559.20 ↑ +33%
Humana Commercial $594.15 ↑ +42%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray small intestine follow-through study at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Passavant-McCandless Pittsburgh $445.20 $25.43 – $630.70
UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh $419.40 $25.19 – $629.10
UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh $559.20 $25.43 – $792.20
UPMC Muncy Muncy $397.20 $46.07 – $529.60
UPMC Northwest Seneca $419.40 $65.37 – $594.15
UPMC Somerset Somerset $490.20 $24.93 – $612.75
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro $480.00 $46.07 – $540.00
UPMC Williamsport Williamsport $397.20 $46.07 – $529.60

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →