Tissue culture skin/biopsy 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

$2,269.40

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.

$3,242.00

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.

$116.77 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $605.00 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 $116.77 ↓ -95%
MERCY CARE HEALTH PLANS [5013] NWR MERCY CARE $183.62 ↓ -92%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS PPO $205.10 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PPO $205.10 ↓ -91%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA APCN/SP $208.12 ↓ -91%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA IL PREFERRED $214.78 ↓ -91%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] NWR BCBS HMO $215.86 ↓ -90%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS HMO $215.86 ↓ -90%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $289.19 ↓ -87%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $289.19 ↓ -87%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $289.19 ↓ -87%
HEALTHLINK [125] NWR SEIU HEALTHLINK $302.50 ↓ -87%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] NWR AETNA ASA $317.63 ↓ -86%
CHOICECARE [177] NWR CHOICE CARE $321.86 ↓ -86%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR PHCS PPO $381.15 ↓ -83%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PLATINUM EPO $423.50 ↓ -81%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] NWR HFN PPO $441.65 ↓ -81%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] NWR CIGNA BEHAVORIAL BHS $453.75 ↓ -80%
BEECHSTREET [176] NWR BEECHSTREET $484.00 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] NWR BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $605.00 ↓ -73%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] NWR NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $605.00 ↓ -73%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] NWR HUMANA MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] NWR MEDICARE not published by hospital
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] NWR BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT not published by hospital

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Tissue culture skin/biopsy at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $75.00 $137.77 – $227.98
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $775.00 $140.73 – $1,240.00
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $2,269.40 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $775.00 $140.73 – $1,240.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $775.00 $140.73 – $1,240.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $353.60 $3.50 – $225.17
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $75.00 $137.77 – $227.98
SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon Mount Vernon $847.00 $140.73 – $147.77

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →