ER Visit (level 1, minor) 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

$399.70

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.

$571.00

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.

$110.77 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $571.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] — 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
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $110.77 ↓ -72%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $133.04 ↓ -67%
CURAECHOICE [6100] NMHC CURAECHOICE $133.61 ↓ -67%
IMAGINE HEALTH [6032] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $154.17 ↓ -61%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $154.17 ↓ -61%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA BP $171.30 ↓ -57%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA $182.72 ↓ -54%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA ASA $201.56 ↓ -50%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH CHS IPA $228.40 ↓ -43%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH ADVOCATE IPA $228.40 ↓ -43%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC SCPP IPA $256.95 ↓ -36%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC CHWN IPA $256.95 ↓ -36%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC SCPP IPA $256.95 ↓ -36%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC UIC IPA $285.50 ↓ -29%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC UIC IPA $285.50 ↓ -29%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMH SEIU HEALTHLINK $285.50 ↓ -29%
GLOBAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INC [6090] NMHC GMMI $331.18 ↓ -17%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BROAD $331.75 ↓ -17%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $371.15 ↓ -7%
MEDPARTNERS [6038] NMHC MEDPARTNERS $399.70 ↑ +0%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH PHCS PPO $456.80 ↑ +14%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/20 EPO $468.22 ↑ +17%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/10 PPO $485.35 ↑ +21%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] NMH Optum UBH $571.00 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $571.00 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC UHC REF LAB JOHN DEERE $571.00 ↑ +43%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH IL HEALTH PARTNERS IPA not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA LIFESOURCE TRANSPLANT not published by hospital
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA TRANSPLANT not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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ER Visit (level 1, minor) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $195.00 $49.25 – $796.00
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $195.00 $49.25 – $796.00
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago $156.09 $44.55 – $148.70
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $245.40 $25.92 – $137.68
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $245.40 $36.00 – $97.28
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $130.00 $88.47 – $146.39
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $195.00 $49.25 – $796.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $195.00 $49.25 – $724.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →