Upper GI series cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 8 hospitals list a cash price for upper GI series (X-ray of esophagus, stomach and duodenum with contrast) as an inpatient: from $416.16 to $1,091.26, with a median of $587.14. The lowest listed price is at St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis — $170.98 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $562.25 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 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 16, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis lowest Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC XRAY UPPER GI TRACT | $416.16 | $578.00 | $115.60–$578.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC XRAY UPPER GI TRACT | $458.64 | $637.00 | $107.70–$637.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO UPPER GI STOMACH W/O KUB | $462.31 | $462.31 | $462.31 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 XR Upper GI | $564.08 | $705.10 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South Louis, MO UPPER GI STOMACH W/O KUB | $610.20 | $610.20 | $610.20 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC XRAY UPPER GI TRACT | $979.92 | $1,361.00 | $102.57–$1,361.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC XRAY UPPER GI TRACT | $990.00 | $1,375.00 | $102.57–$1,375.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 FL-UPPER GI SINGLE | $1,091.26 | $1,818.77 | $1,818.77 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $416.16, median $587.14, highest $1,091.26 — a 2.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $571.62 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 7 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.