Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast 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

$445.00

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.

$890.00

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.

$174.00 with United Healthcare Charter vs $801.00 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 Charter Commercial $174.00 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Core Navigate Commercial $193.00 ↓ -57%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $195.00 ↓ -56%
United Healthcare HMO $220.00 ↓ -51%
Blue Cross Blue Shield City of Chicago Commercial $227.51 ↓ -49%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Choice Commercial $245.84 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO $258.78 ↓ -42%
Ambetter Medicare Advantage $269.08 ↓ -40%
Molina Medicare Advantage $269.08 ↓ -40%
Oscar Health HMO Medicare Advantage $278.36 ↓ -37%
Cigna One Health Commercial $345.20 ↓ -22%
Cigna Commercial $345.20 ↓ -22%
Advocate Employee Commercial $350.66 ↓ -21%
HSTechnology Medicare Advantage $356.30 ↓ -20%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Precision Managed Care $509.08 ↑ +14%
Aetna Commercial $515.04 ↑ +16%
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO $518.87 ↑ +17%
Private Healthcare Systems Commercial $720.90 ↑ +62%
Multiplan Commercial $801.00 ↑ +80%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $445.00 $220.00 – $712.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $445.00 $195.00 – $712.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $445.00 $220.00 – $712.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $405.14 $30.62 – $223.33
SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon Mount Vernon $1,790.25 $187.96 – $197.36
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $445.00 $220.00 – $712.00
Advocate Childrens Hospital - Park Ridge Park Ridge $445.00 $220.00 – $712.00
Advocate South Suburban Hospital Hazel Crest $445.00 $220.00 – $866.86

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →