Ear irrigation 69209 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

251 E. Huron, Chicago, IL · Nm · · NPI 1497859649

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$81.90

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.

$117.00

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.

$27.38 with CURAECHOICE [6100] vs $339.00 with OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] — 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
CURAECHOICE [6100] NMHC CURAECHOICE $27.38 ↓ -67%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $31.59 ↓ -61%
IMAGINE HEALTH [6032] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $31.59 ↓ -61%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC CHWN IPA $52.65 ↓ -36%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC SCPP IPA $52.65 ↓ -36%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC SCPP IPA $52.65 ↓ -36%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC UIC IPA $58.50 ↓ -29%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC UIC IPA $58.50 ↓ -29%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $65.77 ↓ -20%
GLOBAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INC [6090] NMHC GMMI $67.86 ↓ -17%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $78.99 ↓ -4%
MEDPARTNERS [6038] NMHC MEDPARTNERS $81.90 ↑ +0%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA BP $101.70 ↑ +24%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA $108.48 ↑ +32%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC UHC REF LAB JOHN DEERE $117.00 ↑ +43%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $117.00 ↑ +43%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA ASA $119.67 ↑ +46%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH CHS IPA $135.60 ↑ +66%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH ADVOCATE IPA $135.60 ↑ +66%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC SEIU HEALTHLINK $138.05 ↑ +69%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMH SEIU HEALTHLINK $169.50 ↑ +107%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BROAD $196.96 ↑ +140%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC CORE $197.64 ↑ +141%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC $219.67 ↑ +168%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $220.35 ↑ +169%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (EVERNORTH) $271.20 ↑ +231%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH PHCS PPO $271.20 ↑ +231%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/20 EPO $277.98 ↑ +239%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/10 PPO $288.15 ↑ +252%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $339.00 ↑ +314%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $339.00 ↑ +314%
OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] NMH Optum UBH $339.00 ↑ +314%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA LIFESOURCE TRANSPLANT not published by hospital
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA TRANSPLANT not published by hospital
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH IL HEALTH PARTNERS IPA not published by hospital

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Ear irrigation 69209 at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $150.00 $84.00 – $203.50
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $150.00 $84.00 – $200.00
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago not published $61.92 – $100.31
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $116.40 $36.80 – $158.11
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $116.40 $34.00 – $91.18
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $30.00 $61.89 – $102.41
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $150.00 $84.00 – $200.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $150.00 $89.78 – $200.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →