Surgical pathology level 1 gross examination only 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

$21,477.83

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.

$30,682.61

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.

$6.52 with COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] vs $149.00 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 $6.52 ↓ -100%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN HMO [1604] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $6.52 ↓ -100%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAID [1310] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $6.52 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS MEDICAID [1612] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $6.52 ↓ -100%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING SPECIALCARE OF IL [1608] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $6.52 ↓ -100%
FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK HMO [1610] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $6.52 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] VWH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT $28.31 ↓ -100%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] VWH MEDICARE $28.31 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] VWH MEDICARE $28.31 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $37.85 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA IL PREFERRED $51.85 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN NMH TIER ONE $67.05 ↓ -100%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] VWH THE ALLIANCE $80.98 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $83.29 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $90.00 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $90.00 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $93.87 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS HMO $97.07 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS HMO $97.07 ↓ -100%
CHOICECARE [177] VWH CHOICE CARE $100.43 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA ASA $103.26 ↓ -100%
HEALTHLINK [125] VWH SEIU HEALTHLINK $111.75 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH PHCS $119.20 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS PPO $121.73 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PPO $121.73 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN $126.65 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH MULTIPLAN $130.38 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $149.00 ↓ -99%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $149.00 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $149.00 ↓ -99%
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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Surgical pathology level 1 gross examination only at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $79.20 $16.32 – $46.92
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $30.60 $23.46 – $32.63
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $43.75 $8.86 – $50.21
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $117.50 $22.99 – $188.00
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $117.50 $22.99 – $188.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $117.50 $22.99 – $188.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $98.56 $3.92 – $54.33
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $43.75 $8.52 – $50.21

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →