Barium swallow cost in Charleston, WV
In Charleston, WV, 1 hospital lists a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $521.00 to $521.00, with a median of $521.00. Across West Virginia, the median is $360.00 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 74220, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jul 10, 2026 and Jul 10, 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 Charleston, WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert J Thomas Memorial Hospital Association lowest South Charleston, WV · (304) 766-3600 SINGLE CONTRAST X-RAY OF ESOPHAGUS | $521.00 | $1,042.00 | $21.36–$847.35 | 50% | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Herbert J Thomas Memorial Hospital Association South Charleston, WV · (304) 766-3600 X-RAY XM ESOPHAGUS 1CNTRST | $560.50 | $1,121.00 | $21.36–$847.35 | 50% | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $521.00, median $521.00, highest $521.00.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.