Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) CT Scan (with contrast) at HSHS St. Mary's Hospital

1800 E. LAKE SHORE DRIVE, DECATUR, IL · Hshs · · NPI 1326041229

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 25, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$4,157.28

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.

$5,774.00

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.

$187.96 with BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS vs $5,774.00 with HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS — 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
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL MMAI $187.96 ↓ -95%
AETNA AETNA MEDICARE $187.96 ↓ -95%
COVENTRY COVENTRY MEDICARE ADVANTRA $187.96 ↓ -95%
CLEAR SPRING HEALTH OF ILLINOIS CLEAR SPRING HEALTH MEDICARE ADV $187.96 ↓ -95%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $187.96 ↓ -95%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS MEDICARE ADV $187.96 ↓ -95%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTH CARE MEDICARE $187.96 ↓ -95%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL MEDICARE $187.96 ↓ -95%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA MEDICARE $197.36 ↓ -95%
HEALTHLINK ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHLINK $262.99 ↓ -94%
HEALTHLINK ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHLINK - PPO $262.99 ↓ -94%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA MEDICAID $276.64 ↓ -93%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN MERIDIAN HMO MCD $289.82 ↓ -93%
CELTIC INSURANCE COMPANY ALL COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE AMBETTER $413.52 ↓ -90%
HOPETRUST ALL COMMERCIAL HOPETRUST $469.91 ↓ -89%
CLAIM DOC ALL COMMERCIAL CLAIM DOC $469.91 ↓ -89%
CIGNA ALL COMMERCIAL CIGNA $1,200.00 ↓ -71%
CATERPILLAR, INC. UHC CATERPILLAR EMPLOYER GROUP $1,311.00 ↓ -68%
UNITED HEALTHCARE ALL COMMERCIAL UNITED HEALTHCARE $1,311.00 ↓ -68%
AMISH COMMUNITY AMISH COMMUNITY DISCOUNT $1,616.72 ↓ -61%
AMISH COMMUNITY PLAIN CHURCH MEDICAL GROUP $1,616.72 ↓ -61%
AETNA ALL COMMERCIAL AETNA $2,101.74 ↓ -49%
WELLFIRST ALL COMMERCIAL WELLFIRST $2,729.95 ↓ -34%
AETNA AETNA HSHS $3,175.70 ↓ -24%
CURRENT HEALTH SOLUTIONS ALL COMMERCIAL CURRENT HEALTH SOLUTIONS $3,464.40 ↓ -17%
CHOICECARE ALL COMMERCIAL CHOICE CARE $4,041.80 ↓ -3%
CONSOCIATE GROUP ALL COMMERCIAL CONSOCIATE GROUP $4,041.80 ↓ -3%
FIRST HEALTH ALL COMMERCIAL FIRST HEALTH NETWORK $4,266.99 ↑ +3%
CIGNA CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $4,619.20 ↑ +11%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS ALL COMMERCIAL MULTIPLAN $4,619.20 ↑ +11%
HEALTHCARE FINEST NETWORK (HFN) ALL COMMERCIAL HFN $4,907.90 ↑ +18%
PROVIDER NETWORK OF AMERICA ALL COMMERCIAL PROVIDER NETWORK OF AMERICA $5,196.60 ↑ +25%
HEALTHLINK HEALTHLINK CASINO QUEEN $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTHLINK ST CLAIR COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTHSCOPE ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHSCOPE $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD CITY OF SPRINGFIELD WORKCOMP $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
ILLINOIS BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM ILLINOIS BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
INTERPLAN ALL COMMERCIAL INTERPLAN HEALTH GROUP $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
WEXFORD WEXFORD HEALTH SOURCES $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE PPO $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE MARKET PLACE $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE KINGERY $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC MEDICAID $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICARE $5,774.00 ↑ +39%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS OF ILLINOIS PPO not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL HMO PHAI not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL BLUE CHOICE PLANS not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO 470 not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS SIHCA BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO SIHCA not published by hospital —

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) CT Scan (with contrast) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $1,443.00 $1.00 – $2,212.60
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $1,443.00 $201.32 – $1,130.35
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $700.00 $184.02 – $304.50
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $885.00 $269.08 – $1,416.00
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $2,947.00 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $1,245.00 $269.08 – $1,992.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $890.00 $269.08 – $1,424.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $2,426.09 $53.34 – $1,337.38

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →