Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital

12251 S. 80th Ave., Palos Heights, IL · Nm · · NPI 1043600026

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$1,243.20

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.

$1,776.00

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.

$284.16 with BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] vs $1,776.00 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
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $284.16 ↓ -77%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $284.16 ↓ -77%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS SELECT $284.16 ↓ -77%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $332.11 ↓ -73%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS PPO $340.99 ↓ -73%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] PH BCBS PPO $340.99 ↓ -73%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $381.84 ↓ -69%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA BROAD $525.70 ↓ -58%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA IL PREFERRED $602.06 ↓ -52%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS HMO $694.95 ↓ -44%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] PH BCBS HMO $694.95 ↓ -44%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH SEIU HEALTHLINK $888.00 ↓ -29%
CARELON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [159] PH VALUE OPTIONS BHO $888.00 ↓ -29%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] PH AETNA $1,008.77 ↓ -19%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA $1,008.77 ↓ -19%
MAGELLAN BEHAVIORAL HLTH [136] PH MAGELLAN BHS $1,065.60 ↓ -14%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] PH THE ALLIANCE $1,140.72 ↓ -8%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH MULTIPLAN/PHCS $1,243.20 ↑ +0%
COMPSYCH [112] PH COMPSYCH $1,332.00 ↑ +7%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] PH FIRST HEALTH $1,332.00 ↑ +7%
BEECHSTREET [176] PH BEECHSTREET $1,420.80 ↑ +14%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL BHS $1,420.80 ↑ +14%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] PH HFN $1,509.60 ↑ +21%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
HEALTH ALLIANCE [181] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $1,776.00 ↑ +43%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] PH MEDICARE not published by hospital
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] PH MEDICARE not published by hospital
OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] PH UBH BHS not published by hospital

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $131.40 $201.48 – $438.97
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $131.40 $1,188.84 – $2,970.16
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $400.00 $322.03 – $532.87
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $810.00 $425.52 – $6,291.00
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $1,836.80 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $545.00 $429.46 – $4,528.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $930.00 $446.18 – $6,291.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $1,096.58 $53.01 – $302.24

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →