Barium swallow cost in Indianapolis, IN — inpatient
In Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, 10 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $484.80 to $715.20, with a median of $484.80. The lowest listed price is at Carmel AmbSurg and 7 other hospitals. Across Indiana, the median is $484.15 at 56 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel AmbSurg lowest Carmel, IN XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$250.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Endo Surgery Center lowest Carmel, IN XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$538.77 | 40% | — source file |
| Ascension St Vincent Mercy lowest Elwood, IN · (765) 552-4743 XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$568.10 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital lowest Anderson, IN · (765) 649-2511 XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$250.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Carmel Hospital lowest Carmel, IN · (317) 582-7000 XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$538.77 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital lowest Indianapolis, IN XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$538.77 | 40% | — source file |
| Naab Road Surgery Center lowest Indianapolis, IN XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$250.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Fishers Hospital lowest Fishers, IN · (317) 415-9000 XR ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $484.80 | $808.00 | $10.39–$538.77 | 40% | — source file |
| Eskenazi Health Indianapolis, IN · (317) 880-4818 HC Esophagram | $525.60 | $584.00 | $185.00–$584.00 | 10% | — source file |
| Riverview Health Noblesville, IN · (317) 773-0760 XR ESOPHAGUS/BARIUM SWALLOW | $715.20 | $1,192.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $484.80, median $484.80, highest $715.20 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $484.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 9 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.