Contrast x-ray of ankle 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

$885.00

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.

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

$1,770.00

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 $1,593.00 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 ↓ -80%
United Healthcare Core Navigate Commercial $193.00 ↓ -78%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $195.00 ↓ -78%
United Healthcare HMO $220.00 ↓ -75%
Aetna Commercial $382.51 ↓ -57%
Cigna One Health Commercial $452.35 ↓ -49%
Cigna Commercial $452.35 ↓ -49%
Molina Medicare Advantage $539.81 ↓ -39%
Ambetter Medicare Advantage $539.81 ↓ -39%
Blue Cross Blue Shield City of Chicago Commercial $541.62 ↓ -39%
Oscar Health HMO Medicare Advantage $558.42 ↓ -37%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Choice Commercial $584.10 ↓ -34%
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO $615.96 ↓ -30%
Advocate Employee Commercial $697.38 ↓ -21%
HSTechnology Medicare Advantage $714.78 ↓ -19%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Precision Managed Care $1,012.44 ↑ +14%
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO $1,031.91 ↑ +17%
Private Healthcare Systems Commercial $1,433.70 ↑ +62%
Multiplan Commercial $1,593.00 ↑ +80%

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast x-ray of ankle at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $373.80 $114.38 – $521.19
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $885.00 $220.00 – $1,416.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $885.00 $195.00 – $1,416.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $885.00 $220.00 – $1,416.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $884.07 $25.00 – $487.34
SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon Mount Vernon $723.25 $373.86 – $392.55
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $885.00 $220.00 – $1,440.78
Advocate Childrens Hospital - Park Ridge Park Ridge $885.00 $220.00 – $1,416.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →