Price Checker / CPT 74221
CPT 74221 — X-ray xm esophagus 2cntrst
2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rates and hospital pricing data
$106
What Medicare pays in a hospital/ASC setting
$106
What Medicare pays in a physician's office
$5,898
Based on 7 hospital(s) in our database
What do these numbers mean?
The Medicare rateis what the federal government determines is a fair payment for this procedure. It's based on the Relative Value Unit (RVU) system, which accounts for physician work, practice expense, and malpractice cost. Hospitals and providers often charge 3-20x this amount. If your bill is significantly higher than the Medicare rate, you may have grounds to negotiate.
Hospital Charges for CPT 74221
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville Hospital , AL | $36,558 | $36,558 | 34536% |
| UM Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute Baltimore, MD | $919 | — | 771% |
| UM Upper Chesapeake Behavior Health Pavilion at Aberdeen , MD | $896 | — | 749% |
| Iroquois Memorial Hospital , IL | $775 | $542 | 634% |
| UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen Aberdeen, MD | $714 | — | 577% |
| UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen , MD | $714 | $700 | 577% |
| UM Shore Medical Center at Cambridge , MD | $710 | — | 572% |
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About CPT 74221
CPT code 74221 refers to “X-ray xm esophagus 2cntrst”. Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, this procedure is reimbursed at $106 in a facility (hospital or ambulatory surgery center) and $106in a non-facility (physician's office) setting.
These rates are set by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and represent what the government considers a fair payment for this service. While commercial insurance typically pays somewhat more than Medicare, many hospitals charge significantly higher amounts — sometimes 10-50x the Medicare rate.
What to do if you were overcharged
- Upload your bill— we'll identify this code and compare it against the rates shown above.
- Get a dispute letter— citing the Medicare rate and your hospital's own published pricing data.
- Negotiate or let us handle it — 25% of savings, no savings = no fee.