PET/CT scan cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for PET/CT scan from the base of the skull to mid-thigh as an inpatient: from $3,519.90 to $12,805.80, with a median of $8,800.20. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Washington — $5,280.30 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $6,880.00 at 43 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 78815, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Mar 6, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 PET/CT SKULL-THIGH DIAG-E | $3,519.90 | $5,866.50 | $4,106.55 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 PET/CT SKULL-THIGH RESTAGE-E | $3,519.90 | $5,866.50 | $4,106.55 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 PET/CT SKULL-THIGH INITIAL-E | $3,519.90 | $5,866.50 | $4,106.55 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 GALLIUM68 PET/CT SKULL-THIGH R | $3,618.00 | $6,030.00 | $2,713.50 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 PET W/CT, SKULL-THIGH(RESTAGE) | $3,618.00 | $6,030.00 | $2,713.50 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 GALLIUM68 PET/CT SKULL-THIGH I | $3,618.00 | $6,030.00 | $2,713.50 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC TUMOR IMAGE PET/CT SKULL-THIGH | $8,008.80 | $13,348.00 | $4,805.28–$12,413.64 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC TUMOR IMAGE PET/CT SKULL-THIGH | $9,591.60 | $15,986.00 | $5,754.96–$14,707.12 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 PET W/CT SKULL-THIGH(INITIAL) | $10,594.80 | $17,658.00 | $7,946.10 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 TUMOR IMAGE PET/CT SKULL-THIGH | $12,570.60 | $20,951.00 | $13,618.15–$17,808.35 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 TUMOR IMAGE PET/CT SKULL-THIGH | $12,805.80 | $21,343.00 | $8,537.20–$19,208.70 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $3,519.90, median $8,800.20, highest $12,805.80 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $8,008.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 6 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A PET/CT scan combines a PET scan, which shows how active cells are after a tracer is injected, with a CT scan that shows anatomy. This code covers the usual area from the base of the skull to mid-thigh. It is mostly used to find, stage and follow cancer.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the combined scan. The radioactive tracer is often billed separately, as is the radiologist's or nuclear medicine doctor's reading.