Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento

7500 Hospital Dr., Sacramento, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1467560599

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

$452.74

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.

$1,572.00

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.

$83.94 with Hill Physicians vs $1,572.00 with BCBS - Anthem — 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
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $83.94 ↓ -81%
United Medicaid|> 21 $99.36 ↓ -78%
United Medicaid|< 21 $99.36 ↓ -78%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $109.30 ↓ -76%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $123.11 ↓ -73%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $186.80 ↓ -59%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $188.84 ↓ -58%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $220.61 ↓ -51%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $228.53 ↓ -50%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $228.53 ↓ -50%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $233.94 ↓ -48%
Connected Care Commercial|Intel $233.94 ↓ -48%
United Medicare|All Plans $238.62 ↓ -47%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $240.96 ↓ -47%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $279.14 ↓ -38%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $279.14 ↓ -38%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $279.14 ↓ -38%
United Commercial|HMO $401.74 ↓ -11%
United Commercial|Options PPO $401.74 ↓ -11%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $401.74 ↓ -11%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $401.74 ↓ -11%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $427.25 ↓ -6%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $550.20 ↑ +22%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $644.52 ↑ +42%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus $721.74 ↑ +59%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $962.39 ↑ +113%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $1,019.78 ↑ +125%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|BRMS $1,179.00 ↑ +160%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $1,179.00 ↑ +160%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $1,241.88 ↑ +174%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $1,257.60 ↑ +178%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $1,273.32 ↑ +181%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $1,274.72 ↑ +182%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $1,304.76 ↑ +188%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $1,572.00 ↑ +247%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento $342.70 $83.94 – $1,257.60
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $230.39 $142.02 – $864.73
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $334.05 $236.37 – $439.22
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $243.11 $99.36 – $839.73
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $202.67 $99.36 – $987.17
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $183.28 $99.36 – $936.54
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $181.30 $99.36 – $936.54
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $1,076.10 $249.04 – $575.62

All California hospitals for this procedure →