Surgical pathology level 3 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

$11,240.80

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.

$16,058.29

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.

$10.83 with ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] vs $57.00 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
ALTERNATE HUMANA MEDICARE ADV [2409] VWH MEDICARE $10.83 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADV [2304] VWH BLUE CROSS MEDICARE ADVT $10.83 ↓ -100%
GLOBAL EXCEL [1712] VWH MEDICARE $10.83 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA NM EMPLOYEES $14.48 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS MEDICAID [1612] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAID [1310] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING SPECIALCARE OF IL [1608] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK HMO [1610] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
COUNTYCARE IL COOK CO [1607] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN HMO [1604] VWH ILLINOIS MEDICAID $18.67 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA IL PREFERRED $19.84 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN NMH TIER ONE $25.65 ↓ -100%
THE ALLIANCE [1703] VWH THE ALLIANCE $30.98 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PAR/INDEMNITY ADP $31.86 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE SELECT $34.43 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE OPTIONS $34.43 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS BLUECHOICE PREFERRED $35.91 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS HMO $37.14 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS HMO $37.14 ↓ -100%
CHOICECARE [177] VWH CHOICE CARE $38.42 ↓ -100%
AETNA HEALTH PLAN [171] VWH AETNA ASA $39.50 ↓ -100%
HEALTHLINK [125] VWH SEIU HEALTHLINK $42.75 ↓ -100%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH PHCS $45.60 ↓ -100%
ALTERNATE BLUE CROSS [1402] VWH BCBS PPO $46.57 ↓ -100%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD [1401] VWH BCBS PPO $46.57 ↓ -100%
HEALTH'S FINEST NETWORK [126] VWH HFN $48.45 ↓ -100%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH MULTIPLAN $49.88 ↓ -100%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS [142] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $57.00 ↓ -99%
FIRST HEALTH PLAN [6034] VWH NON-CONTRACTED PAYORS $57.00 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE [158] VWH UHC NON-CONTRACTED OON - ED ONLY $57.00 ↓ -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 3 gross & microscopic examination at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $79.20 $32.05 – $114.08
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $74.40 $57.04 – $59.37
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $87.50 $28.37 – $90.47
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $187.50 $49.47 – $300.92
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $187.50 $49.47 – $300.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $187.50 $49.47 – $308.18
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $98.56 $10.22 – $54.33
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange La Grange $87.50 $27.25 – $90.47

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →