Barium swallow cost in Knoxville, TN — inpatient
In Knoxville, TN, 5 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $97.80 to $107.58, with a median of $107.58. The lowest listed price is at Parkwest Medical Center — $9.78 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $108.75 at 41 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 Aug 5, 2026 and Aug 27, 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 Knoxville, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkwest Medical Center lowest Knoxville, TN XR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $97.80 | $326.00 | $41.66–$313.23 | 70% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville, TN XR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $107.58 | $326.00 | $41.66–$313.23 | 67% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge, TN XR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $107.58 | $326.00 | $41.66–$313.23 | 67% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Fort Loudoun Medical Center Lenoir City, TN XR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $107.58 | $326.00 | $41.66–$313.23 | 67% | Aug 27, 2026 source file |
| Roane County Medical Center Harriman, TN XR ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $107.58 | $326.00 | $41.66–$313.23 | 67% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $97.80, median $107.58, highest $107.58 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $107.58 — 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 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.