Macro exam dissect molec study ea 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

$21,526.36

Cash price

?

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.

$30,751.94

Gross charge

?

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.

$29.34 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $2,374.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $29.34 ↓ -100%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $46.13 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $51.53 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $51.53 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $52.29 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $53.96 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $54.23 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $54.23 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $72.66 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $72.66 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $72.66 ↓ -100%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $76.00 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $79.80 ↓ -100%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $80.86 ↓ -100%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $95.76 ↓ -100%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NWR THE ALLIANCE $97.63 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $106.40 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $110.96 ↓ -99%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $114.00 ↓ -99%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $121.60 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $152.00 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $152.00 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC CORE $2,137.00 ↓ -90%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC HMO/PPO $2,374.00 ↓ -89%
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

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Macro exam dissect molec study ea at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $79.20 $32.05 – $121.44
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $50.00 $7.22 – $80.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $50.00 $7.22 – $80.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $50.00 $7.22 – $80.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $77.60 $6.35 – $45.39
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago $50.00 $7.22 – $81.40
Advocate Childrens Hospital - Park Ridge Park Ridge $50.00 $7.22 – $80.00
Advocate Sherman Hospital Elgin $50.00 $7.22 – $90.00

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →