Assay of sialic acid at Advocate Sherman Hospital

1425 North Randall Road, Elgin, IL · Advocate Health · · NPI 1629026364

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Nov 4, 2025 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$92.50

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.

$185.00

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.

$13.44 with United Healthcare Nexus vs $166.50 with Multiplan — 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
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $13.44 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare Core Navigate Commercial $13.44 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare Charter Commercial $13.44 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare HMO $13.44 ↓ -85%
Molina Medicare Advantage $19.49 ↓ -79%
Ambetter Medicare Advantage $19.49 ↓ -79%
Oscar Health HMO Medicare Advantage $20.16 ↓ -78%
HSTechnology Medicare Advantage $25.80 ↓ -72%
Blue Cross Blue Shield City of Chicago Commercial $56.61 ↓ -39%
Cigna One Health Commercial $61.01 ↓ -34%
Cigna Commercial $61.01 ↓ -34%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Choice Commercial $61.05 ↓ -34%
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO $64.38 ↓ -30%
Aetna Commercial $72.80 ↓ -21%
Advocate Employee Commercial $72.89 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Precision Managed Care $105.82 ↑ +14%
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO $107.86 ↑ +17%
Private Healthcare Systems Commercial $149.85 ↑ +62%
Multiplan Commercial $166.50 ↑ +80%

Visitor-reported prices

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Assay of sialic acid at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $92.50 $13.44 – $148.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $92.50 $13.44 – $148.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $92.50 $13.44 – $148.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $34.40 $3.50 – $21.50
SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon Mount Vernon $119.90 $13.44 – $14.11
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $92.50 $13.44 – $150.59
Advocate Childrens Hospital - Park Ridge Park Ridge $92.50 $13.44 – $148.00
Advocate South Suburban Hospital Hazel Crest $92.50 $13.44 – $180.19

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →