Barium swallow cost in Grand Rapids, MI — inpatient
In Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI, 5 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $269.00 to $356.00, with a median of $339.00. The lowest listed price is at Corewell Health Zeeland Community Hospital and 1 other hospital — $70.00 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $265.70 at 60 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corewell Health Zeeland Community Hospital lowest Zeeland, MI · (616) 772-4644 Hc Xray Esophagus | $269.00 | $269.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Greenville Hospital lowest Greenville, MI · (616) 754-4691 Hc Xray Esophagus | $269.00 | $269.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Grand Rapids, MI HCHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONSTRAST STUDY | $339.00 | $339.00 | $214.08–$324.42 | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital Grand Rapids, MI · (616) 391-1774 Hc Xray Esophagus | $356.00 | $356.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital Grand Rapids, MI · (616) 391-1774 Hc Xray Esophagus | $356.00 | $356.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Blodgett Hospital East Grand Rapids, MI Hc Xray Esophagus | $356.00 | $356.00 | — | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $269.00, median $339.00, highest $356.00 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $312.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not 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.