#creutz-prot.,western blot 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

$154.70

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.

$221.00

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.

$33.06 with GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] vs $174.00 with FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] — 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
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] VWH MEDICARE $33.06 ↓ -79%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] VWH MEDICARE $33.06 ↓ -79%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] VWH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT $33.06 ↓ -79%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $44.20 ↓ -71%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA IL PREFERRED $60.55 ↓ -61%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN NMH TIER ONE $78.30 ↓ -49%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] VWH THE ALLIANCE $94.57 ↓ -39%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $97.27 ↓ -37%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] VWH CIGNA ALTERNATIVE $100.11 ↓ -35%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $105.10 ↓ -32%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $105.10 ↓ -32%
CIGNA HEALTH PLAN [178] VWH CIGNA BROAD $106.74 ↓ -31%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $109.62 ↓ -29%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC CORE $110.94 ↓ -28%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS HMO $113.36 ↓ -27%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS HMO $113.36 ↓ -27%
CHOICECARE [177] VWH CHOICE CARE $117.28 ↓ -24%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA ASA $120.58 ↓ -22%
HEALTHLINK [125] VWH SEIU HEALTHLINK $130.50 ↓ -16%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH PHCS $139.20 ↓ -10%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PPO $142.16 ↓ -8%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS PPO $142.16 ↓ -8%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA $144.53 ↓ -7%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC HMO/PPO $147.85 ↓ -4%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN $147.90 ↓ -4%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH MULTIPLAN $152.25 ↓ -2%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $174.00 ↑ +12%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $174.00 ↑ +12%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $174.00 ↑ +12%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN HMO [1604] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAID [1310] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital
COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital
BLUE CROSS MEDICAID [1612] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING SPECIALCARE OF IL [1608] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital
FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK HMO [1610] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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#creutz-prot.,western blot at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $559.80 $33.06 – $368.92
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $559.80 $33.59 – $94.47
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $43.75 $20.24 – $47.32
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $400.00 $29.21 – $148.29
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $859.60 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $400.00 $29.21 – $132.44
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $400.00 $29.21 – $151.87
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $110.00 $10.94 – $60.64

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →