Barium swallow cost in Los Angeles, CA
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 30 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $224.00 to $1,701.04, with a median of $478.40. The lowest listed price is at Encino Hospital Medical Center and 3 other hospitals — $254.40 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $548.80 at 101 hospitals.
Cash prices at 30 facilities across 22 cities for code 74220, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 26, 2025 and Sep 1, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encino Hospital Medical Center lowest Encino, CA · (818) 995-5000 ESOPHAGUS | $224.00 | $1,008.70 | $40.98–$1,008.70 | 78% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center lowest Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 ESOPHAGUS | $224.00 | $1,148.00 | $40.98–$1,148.00 | 80% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| La Palma Intercommunity Hospital lowest La Palma, CA · (714) 670-7400 Hc Esophagram | $224.00 | $1,198.86 | $40.98–$1,198.86 | 81% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital lowest Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 ESOPHAGRAM | $224.00 | $484.00 | $40.98–$484.00 | 54% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital lowest Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 BARIUM SWALLOW | $224.00 | $277.00 | $40.98–$484.00 | 19% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $279.36 | $582.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $282.72 | $589.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Tarzana, CA · (818) 881-0800 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $305.20 | $872.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance, CA · (310) 540-7676 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $384.30 | $1,098.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Co of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA · (310) 832-3311 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $384.30 | $1,098.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Woodland Hills Woodland Hills, CA · (818) 719-3800 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · (323) 783-4011 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West la Los Angeles, CA · (213) 857-2201 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Baldwin Park, CA · (626) 851-1011 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South Bay Harbor City, CA · (310) 325-5111 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Anaheim Anaheim, CA · (714) 279-4000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey Downey, CA · (562) 461-6007 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Panorama City Panorama City, CA · (818) 375-2000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Irvine Irvine, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica, CA · (310) 829-5511 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $487.90 | $1,394.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $492.00 | $1,025.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital Los Angeles, CA X-Ray Xm Esophagus 1Cntrst | $537.50 | $537.50 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Los Alamitos Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $548.80 | $1,372.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Placentia Linda Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $548.80 | $1,372.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Fountain Valley Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $548.80 | $1,372.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Burbank, CA · (818) 843-5111 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $565.25 | $1,615.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $622.56 | $1,297.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Lakewood Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS SNGL CM STDY | $636.80 | $1,592.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $644.16 | $1,342.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA · (818) 365-8051 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $778.40 | $2,224.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 CAT Scan | $780.79 | $1,201.21 | $177.07–$2,246.04 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 Outpatient Global Laboratory, Radiology and Diagnostic Services | $780.79 | $1,201.21 | $177.07–$2,246.04 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 Radiology Services not otherwise listed herein | $780.79 | $1,201.21 | $177.07–$2,246.04 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 PET Scan | $780.79 | $1,201.21 | $177.07–$2,246.04 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles, CA · (323) 442-8656 X-Ray Xm Esophagus 1Cntrst | $1,550.75 | $1,550.75 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION; ESOPHAGUS | $1,701.04 | $2,616.99 | $176.90–$4,200.53 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 PET Scan | $1,701.04 | $2,616.99 | $176.90–$4,200.53 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 HB XR ESOPHAGRAM SINGLE CONT STUDY | $1,701.04 | $2,616.99 | $221.67–$14,761.00 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $224.00, median $478.40, highest $1,701.04 — a 7.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 27 facilities here, median $492.00. 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 15 of 15 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.