Barium swallow cost in Austin, TX — inpatient
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 13 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $120.42 to $723.60, with a median of $501.34. The lowest listed price is at Ascension Seton and 1 other hospital — $380.92 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $485.96 at 96 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Jun 13, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Seton lowest Kyle, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $120.42 | $334.50 | $67.53–$315.21 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton lowest Smithville, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $120.42 | $334.50 | $67.53–$315.21 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Luling, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $204.84 | $569.00 | $64.64–$557.42 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $234.15 | $334.50 | $67.53–$315.21 | 30% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $298.98 | $830.50 | $67.53–$737.99 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $298.98 | $830.50 | $67.53–$737.99 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $298.98 | $830.50 | $67.53–$737.99 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX XR ESOPHAGUS | $298.98 | $830.50 | $67.53–$737.99 | 64% | — source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$752.01 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$668.46 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$752.01 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$752.01 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$543.12 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$584.90 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS | $501.34 | $835.57 | $459.56–$584.90 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Ascension Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX FL-ESOPHAGUS | $560.33 | $1,556.48 | $67.53–$737.99 | 64% | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX TC IR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTR BARIUM INCL SCOUT CXR/DELAYED IMG | $723.60 | $1,080.00 | $432.00–$1,026.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX TC ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTR BARIUM INCL SCOUT CXR/DELAYED IMG | $833.48 | $1,244.00 | $497.60–$1,181.80 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $120.42, median $501.34, highest $723.60 — a 6.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $501.34 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 13 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A barium swallow is a live X-ray of the esophagus while you drink barium. It shows narrowing, hernias and problems with how food passes.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the study and the barium. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.