Interferon beta-1b / .25 mg 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

$2,860.55

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.

$4,086.50

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.

$861.40 with AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] vs $4,006.50 with GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] — 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] PH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $861.40 ↓ -70%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA IL PREFERRED $1,358.20 ↓ -53%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS HMO $1,567.74 ↓ -45%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] PH BCBS HMO $1,567.74 ↓ -45%
CARELON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [159] PH VALUE OPTIONS BHO $2,003.25 ↓ -30%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH SEIU HEALTHLINK $2,003.25 ↓ -30%
MAGELLAN BEHAVIORAL HLTH [136] PH MAGELLAN BHS $2,403.90 ↓ -16%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] PH THE ALLIANCE $2,573.37 ↓ -10%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH MULTIPLAN/PHCS $2,804.55 ↓ -2%
COMPSYCH [112] PH COMPSYCH $3,004.88 ↑ +5%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] PH FIRST HEALTH $3,004.88 ↑ +5%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL BHS $3,205.20 ↑ +12%
BEECHSTREET [176] PH BEECHSTREET $3,205.20 ↑ +12%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] PH HFN $3,405.53 ↑ +19%
HEALTH ALLIANCE [181] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $4,006.50 ↑ +40%
OPTUM/UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [157] PH UBH BHS not published by hospital
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] PH MEDICARE not published by hospital
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] PH MEDICARE not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Interferon beta-1b / .25 mg at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $3,967.25 not published
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital DBA Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital Lake Forest $3,967.25 not published
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis not published $104.99 – $104.99
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo not published $284.33 – $284.52
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn not published $570.13 – $1,655.49
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville not published $359.67 – $1,421.14
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove not published $583.57 – $1,655.49
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island not published $470.95 – $1,539.02

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →