Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site 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

$20,302.10

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.

$29,003.00

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.

$170.61 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $2,374.00 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] NWR AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $170.61 ↓ -99%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $268.29 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $299.68 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $299.68 ↓ -99%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $304.10 ↓ -99%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $313.82 ↓ -98%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $315.41 ↓ -98%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $315.41 ↓ -98%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $422.55 ↓ -98%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $422.55 ↓ -98%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $422.55 ↓ -98%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $442.00 ↓ -98%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $464.10 ↓ -98%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $470.29 ↓ -98%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $556.92 ↓ -97%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NWR THE ALLIANCE $567.79 ↓ -97%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $618.80 ↓ -97%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $645.32 ↓ -97%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $663.00 ↓ -97%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $707.20 ↓ -97%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $884.00 ↓ -96%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $884.00 ↓ -96%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC CORE $2,137.00 ↓ -89%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC HMO/PPO $2,374.00 ↓ -88%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] NWR BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA ALTERNATIVE not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BROAD 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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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $742.20 $94.23 – $1,277.33
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $594.00 $209.00 – $942.18
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $81.25 $29.55 – $1,398.68
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $262.50 $120.25 – $1,634.98
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $262.50 $109.46 – $1,634.98
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $262.50 $120.25 – $1,634.98
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $193.60 $24.04 – $635.52
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $81.25 $28.39 – $1,398.68

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →