Metatarsal joint implant at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital DBA Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital

1000 N. Westmoreland Rd., Lake Forest, IL · Nm · · NPI 1124025176

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$21,618.11

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.

$30,883.01

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.

$5,126.58 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $30,883.01 with UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] — 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
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NLFH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $5,126.58 ↓ -76%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NLFH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $6,485.43 ↓ -70%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NLFH BCBS HMO $6,544.11 ↓ -70%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS HMO $6,544.11 ↓ -70%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $7,226.62 ↓ -67%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $7,226.62 ↓ -67%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $7,226.62 ↓ -67%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NLFH BCBS PPO $8,431.06 ↓ -61%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS PPO $8,431.06 ↓ -61%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NLFH AETNA $13,279.69 ↓ -39%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BC LAKE COUNTY PHYS ASSOC IPA $13,897.35 ↓ -36%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NLFH AETNA ASA $14,051.77 ↓ -35%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NLFH UHC CORE $14,638.55 ↓ -32%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NLFH CIGNA BROAD $15,009.14 ↓ -31%
HEALTHLINK [125] NLFH SEIU HEALTHLINK $15,441.51 ↓ -29%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NLFH UHC HMO/PPO $16,275.35 ↓ -25%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NLFH HFN PLATINUM/CHC ELITE $19,734.24 ↓ -9%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NLFH THE ALLIANCE $19,836.16 ↓ -8%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] NLFH FIRST HEALTH $23,779.92 ↑ +10%
BEECHSTREET [176] NLFH PHCS $24,706.41 ↑ +14%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NLFH PHCS $24,706.41 ↑ +14%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NLFH HFN PPO $27,794.71 ↑ +29%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $30,883.01 ↑ +43%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NLFH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $30,883.01 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NLFH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $30,883.01 ↑ +43%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] NLFH HUMANA MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] NLFH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
HUMANA HEALTH PLAN [130] NLFH ADVOCATE IPA not published by hospital
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NLFH ADVOCATE IPA not published by hospital
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] NLFH MEDICARE not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Metatarsal joint implant at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $11,397.05 not published
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo not published $495.77 – $495.77
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn not published $609.22 – $1,451.14
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville not published $609.22 – $915.10
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove not published $609.22 – $1,485.49
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island not published $209.60 – $672.24
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago not published $609.22 – $1,495.15
Advocate Childrens Hospital - Park Ridge Park Ridge not published $609.22 – $1,471.54

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →