Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

350 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1982733655

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$347.62

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$910.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$115.15 with United vs $718.90 with MultiPlan — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
United Medicaid|All Plans $115.15 ↓ -67%
United Commercial|DignityHealthEmployee $172.90 ↓ -50%
United Medicare|Dual Complete $185.16 ↓ -47%
Care 1st Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Mercy Care Plan Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
First Health Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
BCBS - AZ Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Optum Medicare|OptumCare $189.74 ↓ -45%
United Medicare|All Other Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Mercy Care Plan Medicaid|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Health Choice Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Cigna Medicare|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Health Choice Medicaid|All Plans $189.74 ↓ -45%
Optum Medicare|OptumHealth $208.71 ↓ -40%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Neighborhood $310.00 ↓ -11%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|MaricopaFocus $310.00 ↓ -11%
Cigna Commercial|Exchange $393.28 ↑ +13%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $393.89 ↑ +13%
United Commercial|Options PPO $393.89 ↑ +13%
United Commercial|Navigate $393.89 ↑ +13%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|All Other Plans $413.34 ↑ +19%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus SureFit $420.98 ↑ +21%
Optum Commercial|OptumHealth $427.70 ↑ +23%
Aetna Commercial|All Plans $499.96 ↑ +44%
Cigna Commercial|LifeSource $500.50 ↑ +44%
Other Commercial|NTN $546.00 ↑ +57%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $553.92 ↑ +59%
LifeTrac Commercial|All Plans $591.50 ↑ +70%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Workers Comp $609.94 ↑ +75%
Health Net Commercial|Interlink $637.00 ↑ +83%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $637.00 ↑ +83%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $718.90 ↑ +107%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $161.02 $120.26 – $428.25
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $164.45 $129.45 – $428.25
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $133.04 $120.26 – $456.80
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa $159.88 $129.45 – $428.25
Banner Heart Hospital Mesa $236.96 $129.45 – $428.25
Banner Ocotillo Medical Center Chandler $177.01 $129.45 – $428.25
Banner Payson Medical Center Payson $164.30 $126.17 – $279.00

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →