Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination 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

$34,751.23

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.

$49,644.61

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.

$105.12 with BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] vs $5,868.00 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 $105.12 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $105.12 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS SELECT $105.12 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] PH BCBS PPO $126.14 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS PPO $126.14 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $141.26 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA IL PREFERRED $222.72 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS HMO $257.08 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] PH BCBS HMO $257.08 ↓ -99%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH SEIU HEALTHLINK $328.50 ↓ -99%
CARELON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH [159] PH VALUE OPTIONS BHO $328.50 ↓ -99%
MAGELLAN BEHAVIORAL HLTH [136] PH MAGELLAN BHS $394.20 ↓ -99%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] PH THE ALLIANCE $421.99 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH MULTIPLAN/PHCS $459.90 ↓ -99%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] PH FIRST HEALTH $492.75 ↓ -99%
COMPSYCH [112] PH COMPSYCH $492.75 ↓ -99%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA BEHAVIORAL BHS $525.60 ↓ -98%
BEECHSTREET [176] PH BEECHSTREET $525.60 ↓ -98%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] PH HFN $558.45 ↓ -98%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] PH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $657.00 ↓ -98%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
HEALTHLINK [125] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
HEALTH ALLIANCE [181] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
GALAXY HEALTH NETWORK [220] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $657.00 ↓ -98%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $657.00 ↓ -98%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH UHC CORE $5,282.00 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] PH UHC ALL OTHER $5,868.00 ↓ -83%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] PH AETNA not published by hospital
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] PH MEDICARE not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] PH CIGNA BROAD not published by hospital
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] PH AETNA 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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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 →