Barium swallow cost in Little Rock, AR — inpatient
In Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, 3 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $146.68 to $156.31, with a median of $148.06. The lowest listed price is at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center — $1.38 less than the median here. Across Arkansas, the median is $231.89 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Jul 2, 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center lowest Sherwood, AR · (501) 552-7100 CR ESOPHAGRAM | $146.68 | $577.00 | — | 75% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Vincent Infirmary Medical Center Little Rock, AR · (501) 552-3000 CR ESOPHAGRAM | $148.06 | $577.00 | — | 74% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Conway Regional Medical Center Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 ESOPHAGRAM | $156.31 | $710.50 | $156.31–$710.50 | 78% | Jul 2, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $146.68, median $148.06, highest $156.31 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $156.31 — 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 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.