Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination 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

$37,323.24

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.

$53,318.91

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.

$90.32 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $7,839.00 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 $90.32 ↓ -100%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $142.04 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $158.65 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $158.65 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $160.99 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $166.14 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $166.98 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $166.98 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $223.70 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $223.70 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $223.70 ↓ -99%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $234.00 ↓ -99%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $245.70 ↓ -99%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $248.98 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $294.84 ↓ -99%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] NWR THE ALLIANCE $300.60 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $327.60 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $341.64 ↓ -99%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $351.00 ↓ -99%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $374.40 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $468.00 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $468.00 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC CORE $7,055.00 ↓ -81%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] NWR UHC HMO/PPO $7,839.00 ↓ -79%
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

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Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $137.40 $52.80 – $562.47
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $99.00 $75.90 – $393.85
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $200.00 $54.16 – $622.27
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $675.00 $283.41 – $1,080.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $560.00 $283.41 – $938.84
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $675.00 $283.41 – $1,080.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $647.20 $74.02 – $352.48
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $200.00 $54.16 – $622.27

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →