Bundled special stain group 1 microorganisms at Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital

1302 N. Main Street, Sandwich, IL · Nm · · NPI 1184705931

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

$11,142.93

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.

$15,918.47

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.

$5.90 with COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] vs $176.00 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
COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN HMO [1604] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAID [1310] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS MEDICAID [1612] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING SPECIALCARE OF IL [1608] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK HMO [1610] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $5.90 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] VWH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT $33.44 ↓ -100%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] VWH MEDICARE $33.44 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] VWH MEDICARE $33.44 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $44.70 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA IL PREFERRED $61.25 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN NMH TIER ONE $79.20 ↓ -99%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] VWH THE ALLIANCE $95.66 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $98.38 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $106.30 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $106.30 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $110.88 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS HMO $114.66 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS HMO $114.66 ↓ -99%
CHOICECARE [177] VWH CHOICE CARE $118.62 ↓ -99%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA ASA $121.97 ↓ -99%
HEALTHLINK [125] VWH SEIU HEALTHLINK $132.00 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH PHCS $140.80 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS PPO $143.79 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PPO $143.79 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN $149.60 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH MULTIPLAN $154.00 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $176.00 ↓ -98%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $176.00 ↓ -98%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $176.00 ↓ -98%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] VWH CIGNA BROAD not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] VWH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE not published by hospital
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA not published by hospital
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC CORE not published by hospital
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC HMO/PPO not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Bundled special stain group 1 microorganisms at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $52.20 $26.24 – $83.54
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $28.80 $22.08 – $59.37
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $75.00 $17.81 – $90.47
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $230.00 $49.47 – $418.67
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $230.00 $49.47 – $389.85
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $230.00 $49.47 – $428.78
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $212.00 $24.11 – $54.33
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $75.00 $17.81 – $90.47

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →