Surgical pathology level 2 gross & microscopic examination 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

$17,987.56

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.

$25,696.51

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.

$10.47 with COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] vs $197.00 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 $10.47 ↓ -100%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN HMO [1604] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $10.47 ↓ -100%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAID [1310] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $10.47 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS MEDICAID [1612] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $10.47 ↓ -100%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING SPECIALCARE OF IL [1608] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $10.47 ↓ -100%
FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK HMO [1610] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $10.47 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] VWH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT $37.43 ↓ -100%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] VWH MEDICARE $37.43 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] VWH MEDICARE $37.43 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $50.04 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA IL PREFERRED $68.56 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN NMH TIER ONE $88.65 ↓ -100%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] VWH THE ALLIANCE $107.07 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $110.12 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $118.99 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $118.99 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $124.11 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS HMO $128.35 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS HMO $128.35 ↓ -99%
CHOICECARE [177] VWH CHOICE CARE $132.78 ↓ -99%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA ASA $136.52 ↓ -99%
HEALTHLINK [125] VWH SEIU HEALTHLINK $147.75 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH PHCS $157.60 ↓ -99%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS PPO $160.95 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PPO $160.95 ↓ -99%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN $167.45 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH MULTIPLAN $172.38 ↓ -99%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $197.00 ↓ -99%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $197.00 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $197.00 ↓ -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 2 gross & microscopic examination at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $76.80 $32.05 – $113.16
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $73.80 $32.63 – $57.81
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $68.75 $17.81 – $64.84
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $137.50 $22.99 – $248.60
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $137.50 $22.99 – $220.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $137.50 $22.99 – $254.60
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $98.56 $6.12 – $54.33
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $68.75 $17.81 – $64.84

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →