Prices at 7 hospitals in Kansas City, MO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $392 — 31% below the US median ($566), roughly 3.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $174 | $176 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill | Kansas City, MO | $208 | $124 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| University Health Lakewood Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $208 | $130 | ★ 4/5 | 150 min | — |
| The Children's Mercy Hospital | Kansas City, MO | $392 | $84 | — | — | — |
| St Lukes Hospital of Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $671 | $380 | ★ 5/5 | 226 min | — |
| Saint Lukes North Hospital | Kansas City, MO | $704 | $296 | ★ 5/5 | 179 min | — |
| Research Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $5,077 | $204 | ★ 2/5 | 90 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $392 — about 3.1× the Medicare rate ($128). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($257).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,119 list price could save about $726 (65%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All Upper GI series (barium) prices in Missouri → · All Upper GI series (barium) prices (national) · All hospitals in Kansas City