Patients and Visitors

Price Transparency & Estimates

Pricing Information

UI Health is committed to helping our current and prospective patients make informed decisions on all aspects of their care, including potential out-of-pocket costs. Our online tools can provide pricing estimates (what your out-of-pocket responsibility would be) and charge information. If you would like to request pricing for hospital services that are not listed in MyChart, please contact 312.996.1000 or email pricequo@uic.edu.

The tools below allow current and prospective patients to understand estimated out-of-pocket costs for common services. These tools will take into account the insurance plan, deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance based on responses from insurance. If you are a UI Health patient, please log into MyChart . If you are not a UI Health patient, you can create a 'guest' estimate online and enter your insurance information (accuracy will depend on the information you enter).

Note: Because UI Health employs its physicians, most estimates include professional fees. While this offers you an inclusive view to the total cost of a service, estimates may not be comparable to other health systems unless the other systems have also included professional fees. Health systems that do not directly employ their physicians are not required to include professional services in their shoppable services. Additionally, all professional rates included are based on the place of service being the main hospital campus and does not include sites outside our main campus.

As part of our effort to increase price transparency, you can review our standard charges below, which include the prices for a comprehensive list of services at UI Health for each inpatient and outpatient service or item provided by this hospital, also known as a charge master. Please keep the following in mind:

• Hospital charge data is not representative of a patient's expected out-of-pocket costs. Because each patient's case is different based on specific medical conditions, the actual amount owed by a patient will depend on that patient's insurance coverage.
• Hospital charge data is the amount a hospital bills an insurer for a service. In the vast majority of cases, however, hospitals are reimbursed by insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid at a rate that is considerably less than the amount charged.
• Patients should talk with their insurance provider (or the hospital financial assistance staff) to understand which costs will be covered, and which will be the patient's responsibility.
• If you need financial assistance, please refer to the Financial Assistance section of our website or call 312.413.7621 for more information.

Hospital Charge Master (.xlsx, 163kb, updated 07/18/2023)
Average hospital inpatient charges by Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MSDRG) (.xlsx, 1.95mb, updated 07/17/2023)

UI Health is required by regulatory requirements to also provide a file to enhance price transparency for healthcare consumers, regulators, and industry organizations.  This file displays five types of standard charges: gross charge, cash price, minimum negotiated rate, maximum negotiated rate, and payer-specific negotiated rates.

The below "Machine-Readable file" has charges listed in a similar fashion to the hospital charge master but contains additional details regarding reimbursement information. Although not intended for end-consumer use, patients can view rates for a variety of services for which UI Health has negotiated rates with insurers. 

Note: Due to the size of the Machine-Readable file, opening this file in Microsoft Excel may prevent users from accessing all of the data due to the limits of Microsoft Excel. To access all data, users may need to use an application without a row limit or a database management program.

Machine Readable File: 376000511_University-of-Illinois-Hospital-and-Clinics_standardcharges (.csv, 154mb, updated 01/19/2024)

Click here to learn more about the No Surprises Act

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much will I have to pay out of my pocket?

If you have health insurance, you will need to pay the deductible, copay and/or coinsurance set by your health plan. If you have reached your maximum out of pocket or met your deductible for the year or if you have secondary insurance coverage that provides additional coverage, you may not owe anything. Your financial obligations could differ depending on whether the hospital or physicians are "out-of-network," meaning the health plan does not have a contract with them. Please contact your insurance company to understand what your financial obligations will be.

If you do not have health insurance, we will discuss financial assistance options available that could include either a complete write-off or a substantial reduction of the charges in accordance with UI Health's financial assistance programs.

2. What does my health insurance pay?

Health plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, workers' compensation, commercial health insurance, etc., do not pay charges. Instead, they pay a set price that has been predetermined or negotiated in advance. You only pay the out-of-pocket amounts set by your health plan.

3. What do the following health insurance terms mean?

Deductible means the amount you need to pay for health care services before the health plan begins to pay. The deductible may not apply to all services.

Copay means a fixed amount (for example, $20) you will have to pay for a covered health care service, such as a physician office visit or prescription.

Coinsurance means the percentage you pay for a covered health service (for example, 20% of the bill). This is based on the amount your health plan determines is the allowed amount for the service. You pay coinsurance plus any deductibles you may owe.

Your specific health care plan coverage, including the deductible, copay and coinsurance, varies depending on what plan you have selected. Health plans also have differing networks of hospitals, physicians and other providers that the plan has contracted with. It is important that you contact your health plan to discuss this specific information.

4. What is the difference between charges, cost, and price?

Total Charge is the amount set before any discounts. Hospitals are required by the federal government to utilize uniform charges as the starting point for all bills. The list of charges is the same for all patients. However, the total charges for an individual patient often vary from one patient to another for several reasons, including but not limited to:

• How long it takes to perform the service
• How long it takes you to recover in the hospital
• Whether the service or procedure you receive is more difficult than expected
• What kinds and dosage of medication you require
• If you experience complications and need additional treatment
• Other health conditions you may have that may affect your care

Hospital charges are listed in the charge master. A charge master is a comprehensive list of charges for each inpatient and outpatient service or item provided by a hospital- each test, exam, surgical procedure, room charge, etc. Given the many services provided by hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, a charge master contains thousands of services and related charges.

It is very important for patients to understand that charge master amounts are almost never billed to a patient or received as a payment by a hospital. The charge master amounts are billed to a health insurance company (commercial or government) and those insurers then apply their contracted rates to the services that are billed. In situations where a patient does not have insurance, UI Health has financial assistance policies that apply discounts to the amounts charged. Click here for more information on our financial assistance policies.

Cost for a hospital is the total expense incurred to provide health care. Hospitals have higher costs to provide care than freestanding or retail providers, even for the same type of service. This is because a hospital is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and needs to have everything necessary available to cover any and all emergencies. Non-hospital health care providers can choose when to be available and typically would not provide services that would result in losses.

Total Price is the amount actually paid to a hospital. Hospitals are paid by health plans and/or patients, but the total amount paid is significantly less than the total charge. Health insurance companies contract with hospitals to care for their customers. Hospitals are paid the insurance company’s contract rate, which generally, is significantly less than the amount listed on the charge master. The insurance company’s contract rate, not the charge master, is the basis for determining the patient’s actual out-of-pocket costs. For example, a hospital may charge $1,000 for a service, which the insurer’s contact rate may be $700. If the patient’s insurance plan indicates the patient is responsible for 20 percent of the contract rate, the patient would owe $140 ($700 x 20%).

5. Are pharmaceuticals and supplies included in the charges?

Pharmaceutical and supply items will be listed in the charge master, however, unlike other services, these items are variably priced based on a number of criteria, which are listed below. For the purpose of displaying the price in the posted charge master file, we have used a fixed price or, when indicated, an average price based on historical utilization.

Total charges for pharmaceuticals and supplies often vary from one patient to another for several reasons, including but not limited to:

• What medication is dispensed and administered, and what is the dosage and/or route of administration (i.e. oral tablet, topical patch, intravenous infusion, etc)
• What manufacturer product(s) is associated to each pharmaceutical or supply charge code
• What cost is being used to calculate pharmacy or supply charges (i.e. acquisition cost, average wholesale price, average sales price)
• What location uses the product
• How pharmaceuticals are categorized by product (i.e. chemotherapy, injectable, unit dose, etc.)

Please note, like other services, the amount listed is used to calculate a billed amount and not representative of the expected patient responsibility. Additionally, it is important to understand that these pharmaceutical items listed in the charge master are for products billed within the hospital setting and differ from the retail pharmacy setting.

6. How can I use this hospital charge information for comparing prices?

Charge information by itself is not necessarily useful in order to determine how much you ultimately may need to pay or to compare the amount you may owe across hospitals. Discounts and fee schedules are used to determine how much private insurers pay and may vary from hospital to hospital. These amounts create what is referred to as an allowed amount which is then used by your insurer to determine how much you may owe.

7. How can I get an estimate for a specific procedure or service?

You can use our online MyChart tool to estimate your out-of-pocket responsibility for that specific procedure. If you need an estimate for a specific procedure or service not listed in MyChart, please contact Hospital Patient Accounts at 312.996.1000 or pricequo@uic.edu. Estimates will be an average charge for the procedure without complications. A physician must determine specific care you may require based on considerations including your specific diagnosis, general health condition, and many other factors. For example, one individual may require only a one-day hospital stay for a particular procedure, while another may require a two-day stay for the exact same procedure.

Remember if you have health insurance, you will only pay the specified deductible, copay, and coinsurance amounts established by your health plan. If you do not have health insurance, you may be eligible for significant discounts from charges in accordance with the hospital financial assistance policy.

8. Are there services not included in the charge master?

UI Health’s charge master does not include charges for services provided by the doctor (or doctors) who treat a patient while he/she is at the hospital. The charge master only includes hospital billed services. The patient may receive separate bills from the hospital and the doctors involved in your care.

Here is a partial list of health care providers who may bill you separately:

• Your personal doctor, if he/she sees you in the hospital
• The surgeon who performs your procedure
• The anesthesiologist who works with the surgeon
• The radiologist who reads your x-rays or other imaging
• Other doctors who may be consulted by your doctor during your time in the hospital
• Pathologist who reads the pathology report

We are here to help you navigate the process of healthcare costs and billing. If you have questions or need our help, do not hesitate to contact Hospital Patient Accounts at 312.996.1000 or pricequo@uic.edu to obtain further information about pricing at UI Health and discounts that may be available to you. If you are interested in enrolling in coverage programs available under the Affordable Care Act or applying for financial assistance, please contact 312.413.7621.

Diagnostic COVID–19 testing:

• Lab test (rapid test, where available) for COVID-19: $131.00
• Antibody lab test for COVID-19: $142.00
• COVID-19 Specimen Collection Visit Fee: $65.00