Barium swallow cost in Kansas City, MO
In Kansas City, MO-KS, 21 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $50.00 to $2,709.27, with a median of $708.48. The lowest listed price is at Mish — $658.48 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $433.55 at 63 hospitals.
- The median here, $708.48, is 59% above the US median of $445.39.
- That is 4.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($179.20).
- Kansas City, MO ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Missouri by median, cheapest first.
- 9 of 21 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 21 facilities across 14 cities for code 74220, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 12, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Nov 5, 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 Kansas City, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mish lowest Lenexa, KS XR Esophagus File of Oct 2, 2026 · source file | $50.00 | $350.00 | $87.16–$166.06 | 86% |
| Providence Medical Center Kansas City, KS · (913) 596-4000 Hc Esophagram File of Mar 17, 2026 · source file | $165.00 | $1,313.72 | $80.07–$1,213.88 | 87% |
| Saint John Hospital Leavenworth, KS · (913) 680-6000 Hc Esophagram File of Mar 17, 2026 · source file | $165.00 | $1,312.50 | $95.79–$1,050.00 | 87% |
| St Joseph Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 942-4400 Hc Esophagram File of Mar 17, 2026 · source file | $174.00 | $1,227.69 | $101.17–$1,227.69 | 86% |
| Lakewood Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-7000 XR Exam 12 File of Aug 5, 2026 · source file | $207.90 | $378.00 | $50.82–$378.00 | 45% |
| University Health Truman Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-1000 XR Exam 12 File of Aug 5, 2026 · source file | $207.90 | $378.00 | $50.29–$378.00 | 45% |
| NKC Health North Kansas City, MO · (816) 691-2000 RA Timed Esophagram with Pill+1 more line at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $215.18 | $742.00 | $44.41–$606.96 | 71% |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 X-RAY XM ESOPHAGUS 1CNTRS File of Nov 5, 2026 · source file | $228.00 | $816.00 | $244.80–$680.54 | 72% |
| Cass Regional Medical Center Harrisonville, MO · (816) 380-5888 Esophogram Double File of Apr 7, 2026 · source file | $425.60 | $608.00 | $79.04–$903.92 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 DX BARIUM SWALLOW File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $644.31 | $920.44 | $175.68–$782.37 | 30% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 XR ESOPHAGUS FAC File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $708.48 | $1,476.00 | $106.23–$1,328.40 | 52% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 XR ESOPHAGUS FAC File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $708.48 | $1,476.00 | $106.23–$1,328.40 | 52% |
| Cass Regional Medical Center Harrisonville, MO · (816) 380-5888 BA SWALLOW 74220 File of Apr 7, 2026 · source file | $791.00 | $1,130.00 | $146.90–$1,094.97 | 30% |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $976.84 | $976.84 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $976.84 | $976.84 | — | — |
| Lafayette Regional Health Center Lexington, MO · (660) 259-2203 Radiologic examination, esophagus, including scout chest radiograph(s) and delayed image(s), when performed; single-contrast (eg, barium) study +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,472.72 | $1,472.72 | $101.17–$1,472.72 | — |
| Overland Park Regional Medical Center Olathe, KS · (913) 541-5000 XR ESOPHAGUS File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,129.14 | $2,129.14 | $276.79–$1,596.86 | — |
| Centerpoint Medical Center Independence, MO · (816) 698-7000 XR ESOPHAGUS File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,224.83 | $2,224.83 | $289.23–$2,002.35 | — |
| Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS · (913) 498-6000 Radiologic examination, esophagus, including scout chest radiograph(s) and delayed image(s), when performed; single-contrast (eg, barium) study +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,246.90 | $2,246.90 | $216.87–$1,797.52 | — |
| Lee's Summit Medical Center Lee's Summit, MO · (816) 282-5000 Radiologic examination, esophagus, including scout chest radiograph(s) and delayed image(s), when performed; single-contrast (eg, barium) study +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,640.38 | $2,640.38 | $216.87–$2,244.32 | — |
| Belton Regional Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 348-1200 XR ESOPHAGUS+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,643.44 | $2,643.44 | $216.87–$2,379.10 | — |
| Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 276-4000 XR ESOPHAGUS File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,709.27 | $2,709.27 | $352.21–$2,709.27 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $50.00, median $708.48, highest $2,709.27 — a 54.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $425.60. 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 12 of 19 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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 barium swallow is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Barium swallow explained.