Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) 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

$2,419.01

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.

$3,455.73

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.

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

$207.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] vs $4,561.00 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.

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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 [158] NMH UHC CORE $207.00 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC $229.00 ↓ -91%
CURAECHOICE [6100] NMHC CURAECHOICE $234.00 ↓ -90%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $270.00 ↓ -89%
IMAGINE HEALTH [6032] NMHC IMAGINE HEALTH $270.00 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC CHWN IPA $450.00 ↓ -81%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC SCPP IPA $450.00 ↓ -81%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC SCPP IPA $450.00 ↓ -81%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMHC UIC IPA $500.00 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC UIC IPA $500.00 ↓ -79%
GLOBAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INC [6090] NMHC GMMI $580.00 ↓ -76%
MEDPARTNERS [6038] NMHC MEDPARTNERS $700.00 ↓ -71%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $852.91 ↓ -65%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $884.83 ↓ -63%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC UHC REF LAB JOHN DEERE $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMHC NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,000.00 ↓ -59%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA BP $1,368.30 ↓ -43%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA $1,459.52 ↓ -40%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NMH AETNA ASA $1,610.03 ↓ -33%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH CHS IPA $1,824.40 ↓ -25%
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NMH ADVOCATE IPA $1,824.40 ↓ -25%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BROAD $2,116.30 ↓ -13%
HEALTHLINK [125] NMH SEIU HEALTHLINK $2,280.50 ↓ -6%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $2,964.65 ↑ +23%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH PHCS PPO $3,648.80 ↑ +51%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NMH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (EVERNORTH) $3,648.80 ↑ +51%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/20 EPO $3,740.02 ↑ +55%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NMH HFN/10 PPO $3,876.85 ↑ +60%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NMH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $4,561.00 ↑ +89%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NMH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,561.00 ↑ +89%
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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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $1,400.00 $934.51 – $6,071.00
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago $1,330.00 $934.51 – $6,071.00
Ascension Saint Joseph - Chicago (Presence Chicago Hospital Network) Chicago not published $644.49 – $1,044.07
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $1,287.60 $339.48 – $1,004.08
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $1,287.60 $339.00 – $579.04
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $375.00 $430.00 – $1,089.01
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $1,345.00 $934.51 – $6,071.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $1,215.00 $934.51 – $4,681.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →