Upper GI series cost in Houston, TX — inpatient
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 12 hospitals list a cash price for upper GI series (X-ray of esophagus, stomach and duodenum with contrast) as an inpatient: from $170.82 to $1,502.50, with a median of $1,502.50. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $1,331.68 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $643.95 at 96 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 74240, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX UGI W SCOUT ABD RADIOGRAPHS DELAYED IMAGE SGL CONTRAST 74240 | $170.82 | $914.00 | $86.02–$594.10 | 81% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX UGI W SCOUT ABD RADIOGRAPHS DELAYED IMAGE SGL CONTRAST 74240 - MOD FY | $170.82 | $914.00 | $86.02–$594.10 | 81% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX UGI W SCOUT ABD RADIOGRAPHS DELAYED IMAGE SGL CONTRAST 74240 - MOD FY | $170.82 | $914.00 | $86.02–$594.10 | 81% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX UGI W SCOUT ABD RADIOGRAPHS DELAYED IMAGE SGL CONTRAST 74240 | $170.82 | $914.00 | $86.02–$594.10 | 81% | — source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $872.50 | $1,745.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC UGI W/WO DELAY IMG, INCL SCOUT KUB & DELAYED IMG | $911.20 | $1,360.00 | $544.00–$1,292.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC UGI W/WO DELAY IMG, INCL SCOUT KUB & DELAYED IMG | $911.20 | $1,360.00 | $544.00–$1,292.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC UGI W/WO DELAY IMG, INCL SCOUT KUB & DELAYED IMG | $911.20 | $1,360.00 | $544.00–$1,292.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX HC X-RAY EXAM UPPER GI TRACT SGL CONTRAST | $1,502.50 | $3,005.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $170.82, median $1,502.50, highest $1,502.50 — a 8.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $1,502.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 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
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.