Electron microscopy diagnostic at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

836 West Wellington Avenue, Chicago, IL · Advocate Health · · NPI 1912014564

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Nov 4, 2025 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$1,685.00

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$3,370.00

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.

$628.20 with United Healthcare Charter vs $3,468.17 with Blue Cross Blue Shield — 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
United Healthcare Charter Commercial $628.20 ↓ -63%
United Healthcare Core Navigate Commercial $628.20 ↓ -63%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $628.20 ↓ -63%
United Healthcare HMO $628.20 ↓ -63%
Ambetter Medicare Advantage $1,234.75 ↓ -27%
Molina Medicare Advantage $1,234.75 ↓ -27%
Oscar Health HMO Medicare Advantage $1,277.33 ↓ -24%
Advocate Employee Commercial $1,327.78 ↓ -21%
HSTechnology Medicare Advantage $1,634.98 ↓ -3%
Private Healthcare Systems Commercial $1,819.80 ↑ +8%
Aetna Commercial $1,826.36 ↑ +8%
Cigna Commercial $1,843.42 ↑ +9%
Cigna One Health Commercial $1,843.42 ↑ +9%
Multiplan Commercial $2,696.00 ↑ +60%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Precision Managed Care $2,696.00 ↑ +60%
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO $2,743.18 ↑ +63%
Blue Cross Blue Shield City of Chicago Commercial $3,047.41 ↑ +81%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Choice Commercial $3,293.89 ↑ +95%
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO $3,468.17 ↑ +106%

Visitor-reported prices

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Electron microscopy diagnostic at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $1,685.00 $628.20 – $3,273.97
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago $312.18 $447.67 – $1,788.52
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $518.75 $222.55 – $1,398.68
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $1,685.00 $628.20 – $3,196.79
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $1,685.00 $628.20 – $2,696.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $1,685.00 $628.20 – $3,273.97
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $936.80 $70.25 – $635.52
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $518.75 $213.79 – $1,398.68

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →