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Esophagus Stretching Over a Guide Wire

Tennessee 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 October 2026.

How much does Esophagus Stretching Over a Guide Wire cost?

$1,792

Typical total for the visit. In Tennessee, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,792 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $347 to the doctor who performs it, and $1,445 to the hospital or surgery center where it takes place. Done somewhere without a facility charge, you pay only the first.

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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the billTypicalRange
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it$347$155 to $525
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center$1,445$955 to $2,455

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,445 · 10th to 90th $550 to $3,388Professionalmedian $347 · 10th to 90th $126 to $2,692
$100$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $1,445professional $347

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$7,585.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$117.49
Median
$288.40
Typical High
$524.81
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$831.76
Median
$1,584.89
Typical High
$3,467.37
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$128.82
Median
$309.03
Typical High
$489.78
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$389.05
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,949.84
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$138.04
Median
$275.42
Typical High
$467.74
Lucent Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,691.53
Median
$2,691.53
Typical High
$3,630.78
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$512.86
Median
$1,445.44
Typical High
$3,630.78
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$125.89
Median
$234.42
Typical High
$524.81
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$58.88
Median
$131.83
Typical High
$263.03
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$23.44
Median
$52.48
Typical High
$104.71
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$87.10
Median
$194.98
Typical High
$398.11
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$17.38
Median
$38.90
Typical High
$79.43
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$11.75
Median
$26.30
Typical High
$52.48

Where Tennessee sits

The same service costs 5.7 times more in Colorado 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.

Physician feeFacility fee

Tennessee· 17th of 51

$1,792

$347 physician + $1,445 facility

CO $4,090MT $722

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.