Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance 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

$4,091.68

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.

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

$5,845.26

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.

$451.62 with CURAECHOICE [6100] vs $3,276.00 with MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] — 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 $451.62 ↓ -89%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $521.10 ↓ -87%
IMAGINE HEALTH [6032] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $521.10 ↓ -87%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $612.61 ↓ -85%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $635.54 ↓ -84%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC SCPP IPA $868.50 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC CHWN IPA $868.50 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC SCPP IPA $868.50 ↓ -79%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC UIC IPA $965.00 ↓ -76%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC UIC IPA $965.00 ↓ -76%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA BP $982.80 ↓ -76%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA $1,048.32 ↓ -74%
GLOBAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INC [6090] NMHC GMMI $1,119.40 ↓ -73%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA ASA $1,156.43 ↓ -72%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH CHS IPA $1,310.40 ↓ -68%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH ADVOCATE IPA $1,310.40 ↓ -68%
MEDPARTNERS [6038] NMHC MEDPARTNERS $1,351.00 ↓ -67%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BROAD $1,520.06 ↓ -63%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMH SEIU HEALTHLINK $1,638.00 ↓ -60%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC UHC REF LAB JOHN DEERE $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,930.00 ↓ -53%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $2,129.40 ↓ -48%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH PHCS PPO $2,620.80 ↓ -36%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (EVERNORTH) $2,620.80 ↓ -36%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/20 EPO $2,686.32 ↓ -34%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/10 PPO $2,784.60 ↓ -32%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $3,276.00 ↓ -20%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $3,276.00 ↓ -20%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC CORE not published by hospital
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC 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
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH IL HEALTH PARTNERS IPA not published by hospital

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Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $1,715.00 $1,046.75 – $6,071.00
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $1,485.00 $1,046.75 – $6,071.00
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago not published $721.90 – $1,169.48
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $1,032.60 $527.04 – $1,515.24
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $1,032.60 $757.74 – $808.87
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $435.00 $740.55 – $1,225.43
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $1,405.00 $1,046.75 – $6,071.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $1,665.00 $1,046.75 – $4,681.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →