healthcosts.net
Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) at UPMC Williamsport
700 High Street, Williamsport, PA · UPMC · · NPI 164974648
$3,574.80
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.
$5,958.00
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.
$171.38 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $4,766.40 with InterGroup — 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 | Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage | $171.38 | ↓ -95% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Managed Medicare | $173.11 | ↓ -95% |
| United Healthcare Community Plan for Families | PA Medicaid | $174.08 | ↓ -95% |
| AmeriHealth Caritas | Medicare | $174.81 | ↓ -95% |
| Aetna | Medicare | $174.81 | ↓ -95% |
| United Healthcare | Medicare | $181.60 | ↓ -95% |
| Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) | Medicare | $183.28 | ↓ -95% |
| PA Health & Wellness | Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) | $183.30 | ↓ -95% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Managed Medicaid | $214.56 | ↓ -94% |
| Geisinger | Medicaid/CHIP | $214.56 | ↓ -94% |
| UPMC Health Plan | CHIP | $214.56 | ↓ -94% |
| AmeriHealth Caritas | Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid | $219.92 | ↓ -94% |
| Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) | Medicaid | $274.05 | ↓ -92% |
| PA Health & Wellness | PA Medicaid HMO | $332.40 | ↓ -91% |
| UPMC Work Partners | Workers Comp | $985.16 | ↓ -72% |
| Three Rivers Provider Network | All | $1,053.90 | ↓ -71% |
| Multiplan | Worker's Compensation | $1,088.26 | ↓ -70% |
| Highmark BCBS of PA | Managed Care - Social Mission | $2,370.69 | ↓ -34% |
| Aetna | PEBTF Custom Network | $2,415.97 | ↓ -32% |
| UPMC Health Plan | Commercial | $2,597.69 | ↓ -27% |
| Highmark BCBS of PA | Bluecare HMO/FPLIC PPO/Traditional Products | $2,791.92 | ↓ -22% |
| Aetna | Commercial | $2,841.97 | ↓ -20% |
| Coventry/First Health | Commercial | $2,984.96 | ↓ -16% |
| Wirerope Works | Commercial | $3,312.65 | ↓ -7% |
| Aetna | First Health | $3,932.28 | ↑ +10% |
| Geisinger | Commercial | $3,991.86 | ↑ +12% |
| Coventry/First Health | FH-Medical Rental | $4,009.73 | ↑ +12% |
| United Healthcare | Commercial | $4,075.27 | ↑ +14% |
| Cigna | Commercial | $4,081.23 | ↑ +14% |
| Multiplan | Auto | $4,647.24 | ↑ +30% |
| Multiplan | PPO (Includes PHCS as a Payer) | $4,647.24 | ↑ +30% |
| America's Choice | PPO | $4,766.40 | ↑ +33% |
| InterGroup | PPO | $4,766.40 | ↑ +33% |
| US Family Health Plan | Tricare Prime | not published by hospital | — |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Pennsylvania hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC East | Monroeville | $3,242.40 | $170.18 – $4,323.20 |
| UPMC Passavant-McCandless | Pittsburgh | $2,785.80 | $157.72 – $3,946.55 |
| UPMC Hamot | Erie | $2,637.60 | $145.67 – $3,077.20 |
| UPMC Carlisle | Carlisle | $1,424.40 | $168.60 – $2,017.90 |
| UPMC Altoona | Altoona | $1,699.20 | $136.00 – $2,265.60 |
| UPMC Cole | Coudersport | $1,130.40 | $204.80 – $1,507.20 |
| UPMC Community Osteopathic | Harrisburg | $1,424.40 | $173.36 – $2,017.90 |
| UPMC Hanover | Hanover | $1,424.40 | $168.36 – $2,065.38 |