Upper GI series cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for Upper GI series (X-ray of esophagus, stomach and duodenum with contrast) as an inpatient: from $574.20 to $1,052.25, with a median of $831.00. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $256.80 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $616.00 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 5 cities for code 74240, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA X-ray of upper digestive tract with single contrast | $574.20 | $1,044.00 | $101.30–$1,409.40 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM UPR GI TRC SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $603.20 | $1,160.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM UPR GI TRC SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $603.20 | $1,160.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM UPR GI TRC SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $603.20 | $1,160.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA HC X-RAY UPPER GI DELAY W/O KUB - FL UPPER GI WITHOUT KUB | $831.00 | $1,108.00 | $166.20–$1,085.84 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA HC X-RAY UPPER GI DELAY W/O KUB - FL UPPER GI WITHOUT KUB | $831.00 | $1,108.00 | $310.24–$997.20 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA HC X-RAY UPPER GI DELAY W/O KUB - FL UPPER GI WITHOUT KUB | $831.00 | $1,108.00 | $310.24–$908.56 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital Corporation La Mesa, CA HC X-RAY UPPER GI DELAY W/O KUB - FL UPPER GI WITHOUT KUB | $831.00 | $1,108.00 | $70.03–$997.20 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rsp Xr Ugi W/O Kub | $1,052.25 | $1,403.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $574.20, median $831.00, highest $1,052.25 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $717.10 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 8 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.