Barium swallow cost in Harrisburg, PA — inpatient
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $212.62 to $427.80, with a median of $294.86. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center — $82.24 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $427.80 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center lowest Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 74220 XR Esophagus Tech | $212.62 | $890.00 | $25.88–$740.75 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center lowest Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 74220 XR Water Soluble Swallow Tech | $212.62 | $890.00 | $25.88–$740.75 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 74220 XR Esophagus Tech | $280.08 | $890.00 | $145.72–$732.69 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 74220 XR Water Soluble Swallow Tech | $280.08 | $890.00 | $145.72–$732.69 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 XR Esophagus - Report | $294.86 | $890.00 | $158.13–$1,000.41 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 74220 Exam Esophagus | $294.86 | $890.00 | $158.13–$1,000.41 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 XR Water Soluble Swallow - Report | $294.86 | $890.00 | $158.13–$1,000.41 | 67% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC ESOPHAGUS INCL SCOUT/DELAY WHEN PERF SNGL CONTRAST | $427.80 | $713.00 | $463.45–$606.05 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC ESOPHAGUS INCL SCOUT/DELAY WHEN PERF SNGL CONTRAST | $427.80 | $713.00 | $290.90–$606.05 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $212.62, median $294.86, highest $427.80 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $294.86 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.