Itemized  ·  Compare  ·  John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital vs University of Chicago Medical Center

John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital vs University of Chicago Medical Center.

Side-by-side prices for 38 procedures both hospitals publish, plus CMS quality ratings and metro context. Pulled from each hospital's federally-mandated price transparency file. John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital is cheaper on more procedures (26 vs 2).

John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital
Chicago, IL
Cook County Health
3/5 CMS
Cheaper on 26 of 38 procedures
vs.
University of Chicago Medical Center
Chicago, IL
UChicago Medicine
4/5 CMS
Cheaper on 2 of 38 procedures

Head-to-head, by procedure.

Procedure John University Cheaper
Brain MRI without contrast $126 $4,097 John ↓
Brain MRI with and without contrast $195 $7,132 John ↓
Lumbar spine MRI without contrast $127 $5,558 John ↓
Knee/lower-extremity MRI without contrast $116 $4,638 John ↓
CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast $156 $5,839 John ↓
Abdominal ultrasound, complete $69 $399 John ↓
Mammogram, screening $65 $614 John ↓
DXA bone density scan $18 $136 John ↓
Chest X-ray, single view $16 $345 John ↓
Comprehensive metabolic panel $19 $101 John ↓
Lipid panel $24 $128 John ↓
CBC with differential $14 $75 John ↓
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) $29 $37 John ↓
Hemoglobin A1c $18 $92 John ↓
Urinalysis — $116 tie
Knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy $1,014 — tie
Total knee replacement $2,345 — tie
Total hip replacement $2,352 — tie
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy $1,315 — tie
Inguinal hernia repair, open $1,049 — tie
Cataract surgery, one eye $855 — tie
Colonoscopy, diagnostic $321 $2,790 John ↓
Colonoscopy with polyp removal $433 $3,949 John ↓
Upper endoscopy (EGD) with biopsy $238 $2,569 John ↓
Echocardiogram, complete with Doppler $123 $5,935 John ↓
Office visit, established patient, level 3 $109 $58 University ↓
Office visit, established patient, level 4 $160 $197 John ↓
Carpal tunnel release $946 $3,826 John ↓
Lumbar epidural steroid injection $188 $1,211 John ↓
Polysomnography (sleep study) $219 $388 John ↓
Septoplasty (deviated septum repair) $1,156 — tie
Total abdominal hysterectomy $1,901 — tie
Thyroid ultrasound $49 $408 John ↓
New patient office visit, level 3 $139 $52 University ↓
New patient office visit, level 4 $224 $360 John ↓
Ureteroscopy with lithotripsy (kidney stone) $676 — tie
Carotid duplex ultrasound $71 $2,755 John ↓
Psychotherapy, 45 minutes $164 $225 John ↓

Patient experience.

CMS HCAHPS patient survey, period ending 03/31/2025. Bold = higher score.

Measure John University
HCAHPS overall star rating 2/5 3/5
Would definitely recommend 68% 73%
Hospital rating 9 or 10 of 10 65% 70%
Nurses always communicated well 69% 77%
Doctors always communicated well 79% 81%
Given clear info about recovery 80% 86%
Room and bathroom always clean 58% 61%
Staff always explained meds 50% 58%
Quiet at night, always 48% 63%

Add your insurance.

Cash-pay is one number. With your insurance plan, the actual price differs. Pick your insurer in the comparison tool to see plan-specific rates at both hospitals.

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How to read this comparison.

The cash-pay price is what an uninsured patient would be charged at each hospital. It's the cleanest apples-to-apples comparison because it doesn't depend on your insurance plan.

The CMS rating is the federal quality composite, built from ~50 measures spanning safety, mortality, readmission, patient experience, and timeliness. A 5-star hospital may not be the best at every procedure, and a 3-star hospital can have a strong specific service line. Treat the rating as one input, not the answer.

For your specific insurance plan, prices can shift dramatically. Some hospitals negotiate steep discounts with one insurer and not another. Always check the plan-specific rate before you book.