Upper GI series cost in Baltimore, MD — inpatient
In Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, 3 hospitals list a cash price for upper GI series (X-ray of esophagus, stomach and duodenum with contrast) as an inpatient: from $319.40 to $900.78, with a median of $540.32. The lowest listed price is at Greater Baltimore Medical Center — $220.92 less than the median here. Across Maryland, the median is $601.17 at 6 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 74240, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center lowest Towson, MD · (443) 849-2000 HC GI Series Upper | $319.40 | $325.92 | $319.40–$325.92 | 2% | — source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Baltimore, MD · (410) 332-9237 HC RADEX GI TRACT UPPER W/WO DELAYED IMAGES, SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $540.32 | $551.35 | $551.35–$540.32 | 2% | — source file |
| Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore, MD · (410) 578-5050 UGI w or w/o KUB Fluoroscopy | $900.78 | $919.16 | $900.78–$919.16 | 2% | — source file |
| Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore, MD · (410) 578-5050 Cap Reg MRI Brain w/o Contrast | $1,801.55 | $1,838.32 | $1,801.55–$1,838.32 | 2% | — source file |
| Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore, MD · (410) 578-5050 Cap Reg MRI Brain w/ Contrast | $2,661.39 | $2,715.70 | $2,661.39–$2,715.70 | 2% | — source file |
| Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore, MD · (410) 578-5050 Cap Reg MRI Brain w & w/o Cont | $3,029.89 | $3,091.72 | $3,029.89–$3,091.72 | 2% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $319.40, median $540.32, highest $900.78 — a 2.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $540.32 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 1 it is 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
An upper GI series is an X-ray of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine after drinking barium.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the study and the barium. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.