Barium swallow cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 13 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $73.95 to $815.48, with a median of $391.80. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center — $317.85 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $433.83 at 97 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 7 cities 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 1, 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Radiologic Exam Esophagus Single Contrast Study|By Midlevel | $73.95 | $145.00 | $17.98–$121.16 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Radiologic Exam Esophagus Single Contrast Study|By Specialist | $73.95 | $145.00 | $23.97–$145.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Esophagram | $295.80 | $580.00 | $63.01–$580.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Esophogram | $337.20 | $843.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Fluro Esophagram | $391.80 | $653.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Xr Esophagus | $398.53 | $531.37 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Xr Esophagus | $398.53 | $531.37 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Diag Esophagram | $588.00 | $980.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Diag Esophagram | $588.00 | $980.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Xr Esophagus | $815.48 | $1,087.31 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $73.95, median $391.80, highest $815.48 — a 11.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $586.80. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.