Upper endoscopy with balloon dilation cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for upper endoscopy (EGD) with balloon widening of the esophagus: from $422.57 to $17,728.72, with a median of $2,177.85. The lowest listed price is at Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa — $1,755.28 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $2,656.80 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 43249, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa lowest West Des Moines, IA PR Egd Flex Transoral W/Transendoscopic Balloon Dilation Esophagus <30 Mm | $422.57 | — | $43.45–$460.18 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC UGI BALLOON DIL ESOPH < 30 MM DIA | $2,177.85 | $2,722.31 | $906.53–$4,616.48 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC UGI BALLOON DIL ESOPH < 30 MM DIA | $2,177.85 | $2,722.31 | $713.25–$4,871.77 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR EGD BALLOON DILATION ESOPHAGUS <30 MM DIAM | $2,656.80 | $3,321.00 | $136.87–$482.57 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR EGD BALLOON DILATION ESOPHAGUS <30 MM DIAM | $2,656.80 | $3,321.00 | $136.87–$482.57 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Egd Flex Transoral W/Transendoscopic Balloon Dilation Esophagus <30 Mm | $17,728.72 | — | $1.92–$3,725.39 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $422.57, median $2,177.85, highest $17,728.72 — a 42.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $558.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers upper endoscopy in which a balloon is used to stretch a narrowed part of the esophagus.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the endoscopy room, equipment and recovery. The doctor, sedation and any lab exam of tissue are usually billed separately.