Abdominal MRI (with contrast) at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital

4201 Medical Center Drive, McHenry, IL · Nm · · NPI 1427065499

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

$3,770.20

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.

$5,386.00

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.

$1,039.50 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $5,386.00 with MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] — 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] NWR AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $1,039.50 ↓ -72%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $1,634.65 ↓ -57%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $1,825.85 ↓ -52%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $1,825.85 ↓ -52%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $1,852.78 ↓ -51%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $1,912.03 ↓ -49%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $1,921.72 ↓ -49%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $1,921.72 ↓ -49%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $2,574.51 ↓ -32%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $2,574.51 ↓ -32%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $2,574.51 ↓ -32%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $2,693.00 ↓ -29%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $2,827.65 ↓ -25%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $2,865.35 ↓ -24%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $3,393.18 ↓ -10%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NWR THE ALLIANCE $3,459.43 ↓ -8%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $3,770.20 ↑ +0%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $3,931.78 ↑ +4%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $4,039.50 ↑ +7%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $4,308.80 ↑ +14%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $5,386.00 ↑ +43%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $5,386.00 ↑ +43%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] NWR BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] NWR MEDICARE not published by hospital
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] NWR HUMANA MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital

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Abdominal MRI (with contrast) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $1,061.40 $372.28 – $3,022.00
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $1,061.40 $421.38 – $831.43
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $1,050.00 $366.01 – $605.65
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $1,310.00 $539.81 – $2,300.93
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $3,770.20 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $1,865.00 $539.81 – $2,984.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $1,605.00 $539.81 – $2,568.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $4,520.28 $75.45 – $2,491.80

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →