Barium Swallow (Esophagus X-ray) at HSHS St. Francis Hospital

1215 FRANCISCAN DRIVE, LITCHFIELD, IL · Hshs · · NPI 1326057076

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 24, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$669.60

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.

$930.00

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.

$34.84 with WEXFORD vs $930.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — 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
WEXFORD WEXFORD HEALTH SOURCES $34.84 ↓ -95%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA MEDICAID $36.58 ↓ -95%
MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN MERIDIAN HMO MCD $38.33 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL MEDICARE $195.30 ↓ -71%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $195.30 ↓ -71%
CLEAR SPRING HEALTH OF ILLINOIS CLEAR SPRING HEALTH MEDICARE ADV $195.30 ↓ -71%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTH CARE MEDICARE $204.60 ↓ -69%
AETNA AETNA MEDICARE $204.60 ↓ -69%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA MEDICARE $205.07 ↓ -69%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS MEDICARE ADV $213.90 ↓ -68%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL MMAI $213.90 ↓ -68%
AMISH COMMUNITY PLAIN CHURCH MEDICAL GROUP $260.40 ↓ -61%
AMISH COMMUNITY AMISH COMMUNITY DISCOUNT $260.40 ↓ -61%
CELTIC INSURANCE COMPANY ALL COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE AMBETTER $470.58 ↓ -30%
CLAIM DOC ALL COMMERCIAL CLAIM DOC $488.25 ↓ -27%
AETNA AETNA HSHS $505.92 ↓ -24%
HOPETRUST ALL COMMERCIAL HOPETRUST $534.75 ↓ -20%
WELLFIRST ALL COMMERCIAL WELLFIRST $598.27 ↓ -11%
AETNA ALL COMMERCIAL AETNA $653.79 ↓ -2%
FIRST HEALTH ALL COMMERCIAL FIRST HEALTH NETWORK $690.06 ↑ +3%
CATERPILLAR, INC. UHC CATERPILLAR EMPLOYER GROUP $745.86 ↑ +11%
UNITED HEALTHCARE ALL COMMERCIAL UNITED HEALTHCARE $745.86 ↑ +11%
CURRENT HEALTH SOLUTIONS ALL COMMERCIAL CURRENT HEALTH SOLUTIONS $781.20 ↑ +17%
CONSOCIATE GROUP ALL COMMERCIAL CONSOCIATE GROUP $790.50 ↑ +18%
MULTIPLAN/PHCS ALL COMMERCIAL MULTIPLAN $790.50 ↑ +18%
HEALTHLINK ST CLAIR COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY $793.29 ↑ +18%
HEALTHLINK ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHLINK $793.29 ↑ +18%
HEALTHLINK ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHLINK - PPO $793.29 ↑ +18%
HEALTHLINK HEALTHLINK CASINO QUEEN $793.29 ↑ +18%
CIGNA ALL COMMERCIAL CIGNA $827.70 ↑ +24%
HEALTHCARE FINEST NETWORK (HFN) ALL COMMERCIAL HFN $837.00 ↑ +25%
PROVIDER NETWORK OF AMERICA ALL COMMERCIAL PROVIDER NETWORK OF AMERICA $837.00 ↑ +25%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE MARKET PLACE $930.00 ↑ +39%
ILLINOIS BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM ILLINOIS BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM $930.00 ↑ +39%
INTERPLAN ALL COMMERCIAL INTERPLAN HEALTH GROUP $930.00 ↑ +39%
LIVE360 LIVE360 HSHS HEALTHY PLAN $930.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE KINGERY $930.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE PPO $930.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTHSCOPE ALL COMMERCIAL HEALTHSCOPE $930.00 ↑ +39%
NAPHCARE ALL COMMERICAL NAPHCARE $930.00 ↑ +39%
HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICAL PLANS HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICARE $930.00 ↑ +39%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC MEDICAID $930.00 ↑ +39%
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL HMO PHAI not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS SIHCA BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO SIHCA not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO 470 not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IL HMO not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS OF ILLINOIS PPO not published by hospital —
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS BCBS IL BLUE CHOICE PLANS not published by hospital —

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Barium Swallow (Esophagus X-ray) at other Illinois hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center Silvis $321.60 $54.71 – $493.12
MercyOne Genesis Aledo Medical Center Aledo $321.60 $148.16 – $251.92
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale Hinsdale $175.00 $102.44 – $304.50
Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn $415.00 $220.00 – $664.00
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago $828.10 not published
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville $415.00 $195.00 – $664.00
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove $415.00 $220.00 – $664.00
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Moline Rock Island $434.76 $26.35 – $239.66

All Illinois hospitals for this procedure →