Fl exam g/colon tube w 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

$523.95

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.

$748.50

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.

$135.29 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $770.00 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 $135.29 ↓ -74%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $138.10 ↓ -74%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $212.75 ↓ -59%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BROAD $216.61 ↓ -59%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $237.64 ↓ -55%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $237.64 ↓ -55%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $241.14 ↓ -54%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $248.86 ↓ -53%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $250.12 ↓ -52%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $250.12 ↓ -52%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $335.08 ↓ -36%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $335.08 ↓ -36%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $335.08 ↓ -36%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA $341.39 ↓ -35%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $350.50 ↓ -33%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $368.03 ↓ -30%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $372.93 ↓ -29%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $385.55 ↓ -26%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NWR THE ALLIANCE $450.25 ↓ -14%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $490.70 ↓ -6%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $511.73 ↓ -2%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $525.75 ↑ +0%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $560.80 ↑ +7%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC CORE $692.00 ↑ +32%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $701.00 ↑ +34%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $701.00 ↑ +34%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC HMO/PPO $770.00 ↑ +47%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] NWR MEDICARE not published by hospital
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] NWR BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] NWR HUMANA MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Fl exam g/colon tube w contrast at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $298.80 $114.38 – $2,143.62
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $298.80 $78.00 – $268.49
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $198.75 $250.32 – $414.22
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $430.00 $220.00 – $688.00
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $523.95 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $430.00 $195.00 – $688.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $430.00 $220.00 – $688.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $499.78 $27.29 – $275.50

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →