ER Visit (level 3) 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

$1,751.05

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.

Full explanation →

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

$2,501.50

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.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$373.26 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $1,924.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] — 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 →

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
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $373.26 ↓ -79%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $448.29 ↓ -74%
CURAECHOICE [6100] NMHC CURAECHOICE $450.22 ↓ -74%
IMAGINE HEALTH [6032] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $519.48 ↓ -70%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $519.48 ↓ -70%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA BP $577.20 ↓ -67%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA $615.68 ↓ -65%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA ASA $679.17 ↓ -61%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH CHS IPA $769.60 ↓ -56%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH ADVOCATE IPA $769.60 ↓ -56%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (EVERNORTH) $796.00 ↓ -55%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC SCPP IPA $865.80 ↓ -51%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC CHWN IPA $865.80 ↓ -51%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC SCPP IPA $865.80 ↓ -51%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC UIC IPA $962.00 ↓ -45%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMH SEIU HEALTHLINK $962.00 ↓ -45%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC UIC IPA $962.00 ↓ -45%
GLOBAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INC [6090] NMHC GMMI $1,115.92 ↓ -36%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BROAD $1,117.84 ↓ -36%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $1,250.60 ↓ -29%
MEDPARTNERS [6038] NMHC MEDPARTNERS $1,346.80 ↓ -23%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH PHCS PPO $1,539.20 ↓ -12%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/20 EPO $1,577.68 ↓ -10%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/10 PPO $1,635.40 ↓ -7%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] NMH Optum UBH $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC UHC REF LAB JOHN DEERE $1,924.00 ↑ +10%
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

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

ER Visit (level 3) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $785.00 $418.52 – $2,071.00
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $715.00 $418.52 – $2,071.00
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago $455.73 $136.95 – $467.60
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $448.20 $142.40 – $362.68
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $448.20 $134.00 – $312.63
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $387.50 $286.38 – $473.89
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $660.00 $418.52 – $2,071.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $650.00 $418.52 – $1,948.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →