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Esophagus Stretching Over a Guide Wire

California rates for HCPCS 43226

A flexible scope is passed through the mouth into the food pipe, a guide wire is threaded through the narrowed section, and tapered dilators are passed over that wire to stretch the narrowing open. The wire keeps the dilators on a safe path through the tight segment. It relieves food sticking and difficulty swallowing.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Esophagus Stretching Over a Guide Wire cost?

$3,467

Typical facility fee. In California, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $3,467 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $832 to $5,495.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 9 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,981 · 10th to 90th $427 to $12,589Professionalmedian $380 · 10th to 90th $120 to $741
$100$500$2K$10Kfacility $3,981professional $380

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,698.24
Median
$5,754.40
Typical High
$16,982.44
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,511.89
Median
$4,466.84
Typical High
$12,882.50
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$75.86
Median
$3,090.30
Typical High
$6,456.54
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$354.81
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$2,238.72
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$131.83
Median
$177.83
Typical High
$707.95
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$117.49
Median
$398.11
Typical High
$776.25
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$5,011.87
Median
$5,011.87
Typical High
$19,498.45
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$134.90
Median
$245.47
Typical High
$676.08
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,905.46
Median
$4,168.69
Typical High
$9,549.93

Where California sits

The same service costs 24.0 times more in Delaware than in Montana. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

California· 8th of 50

$3,467

DE $6,457MT $269

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.