Barium swallow cost in Detroit, MI — inpatient
In Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, 14 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $90.16 to $792.00, with a median of $610.13. The lowest listed price is at Henry Ford Health — $519.97 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $265.70 at 60 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 11 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 6, 2026 and Sep 2, 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford Health lowest East China Township, MI · (810) 329-7111 ESOPHAGUS | $90.16 | $161.00 | $52.96–$122.55 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Detroit, MI · (313) 343-4000 ESOPHAGUS | $151.76 | $271.00 | $52.96–$122.55 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Warren, MI · (586) 573-5000 ESOPHAGUS | $192.64 | $344.00 | $52.96–$122.55 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Madison Heights, MI ESOPHAGUS | $192.64 | $344.00 | $52.96–$122.55 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Novi, MI ESOPHAGUS | $269.92 | $482.00 | $52.96–$200.32 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Southfield, MI · (248) 849-3000 ESOPHAGUS | $269.92 | $482.00 | $52.96–$200.32 | 44% | — source file |
| Harper University Hospital Detroit, MI · (313) 745-6211 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $602.25 | $803.00 | $1.00–$178.55 | 25% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Harper University Hospital Detroit, MI · (313) 745-6211 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $602.25 | $803.00 | $1.00–$178.55 | 25% | Aug 20, 2026 source file |
| VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital Detroit, MI · (313) 745-2941 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $618.00 | $824.00 | — | 25% | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| William Beaumont Hospital Troy, MI · (248) 964-8800 Hc Xray Esophagus | $629.00 | $629.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Beaumont Hospital - Taylor Taylor, MI · (313) 295-5000 Hc Xray Esophagus | $629.00 | $629.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Wayne Hospital Wayne, MI · (734) 467-4175 Hc Xray Esophagus | $629.00 | $629.00 | — | — | — source file |
| William Beaumont Hospital Grosse Pointe, MI · (313) 473-1000 Hc Xray Esophagus | $629.00 | $629.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Trenton Hospital Trenton, MI · (734) 671-3800 Hc Xray Esophagus | $629.00 | $629.00 | — | — | — source file |
| VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan Detroit, MI · (313) 745-5437 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $792.00 | $1,056.00 | — | 25% | Apr 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $90.16, median $610.13, highest $792.00 — a 8.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 26 facilities here, median $241.18 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 7 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.