X-ray esophogram chest radiograph(s) & delayed images single contrast study at Mercy General Hospital

4001 J St., Sacramento, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1487694857

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

$379.76

Cash price

?

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.

$1,742.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$54.64 with United vs $1,393.60 with MultiPlan — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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|< 21 $54.64 ↓ -86%
United Medicaid|> 21 $54.64 ↓ -86%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $60.10 ↓ -84%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $71.61 ↓ -81%
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $75.71 ↓ -80%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $103.82 ↓ -73%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $109.70 ↓ -71%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $126.76 ↓ -67%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $126.76 ↓ -67%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $220.61 ↓ -42%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $231.94 ↓ -39%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $231.94 ↓ -39%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $231.94 ↓ -39%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|HMO $233.94 ↓ -38%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -38%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -38%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -38%
United Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -38%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -38%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|PPO $233.94 ↓ -38%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $234.94 ↓ -38%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $240.96 ↓ -37%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $257.33 ↓ -32%
Prison Healthcare Medicaid|All Plans $350.91 ↓ -8%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $401.74 ↑ +6%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $401.74 ↑ +6%
United Commercial|HMO $401.74 ↑ +6%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $450.86 ↑ +19%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $563.34 ↑ +48%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $609.70 ↑ +61%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $714.22 ↑ +88%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus $721.74 ↑ +90%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $816.65 ↑ +115%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $962.39 ↑ +153%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $1,254.24 ↑ +230%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $1,306.50 ↑ +244%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $1,376.18 ↑ +262%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $1,393.60 ↑ +267%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $1,393.60 ↑ +267%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

X-ray esophogram chest radiograph(s) & delayed images single contrast study at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sacramento Medical Center SACRAMENTO $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00
South Sacramento Medical Center SACRAMENTO $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento $501.70 $54.64 – $1,445.86
Fresno Medical Center FRESNO $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $467.79 $82.67 – $864.73
Antioch Medical Center ANTIOCH $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00
Redwood City Medical Center Redwood City $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00
Santa Clara Medical Center SANTA CLARA $1,047.20 $238.00 – $238.00

All California hospitals for this procedure →