Barium swallow cost in Memphis, TN
In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, 12 hospitals list a cash price for Barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $84.90 to $271.48, with a median of $200.64. The lowest listed price is at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden — $115.74 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $108.75 at 41 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 7 cities for code 74220, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 25, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 27, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden lowest West Memphis, AR HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $84.90 | $566.00 | $36.00–$456.43 | 85% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Southaven, MS HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $113.20 | $566.00 | $98.78–$509.40 | 80% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville, TN HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $118.86 | $566.00 | $147.16–$509.40 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis, TN HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $118.86 | $566.00 | $33.33–$509.40 | 79% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis, TN HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $118.86 | $566.00 | $147.16–$509.40 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington, TN HC XR ESOPHAGRAM | $142.56 | $594.00 | $50.57–$534.60 | 76% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Methodist University Hospital Memphis, TN HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $258.72 | $1,176.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist South Hospital Memphis, TN HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $258.72 | $1,176.00 | $36.00–$303.57 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Olive Branch Hospital Olive Branch, MS HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $258.72 | $1,176.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist North Hospital Memphis, TN HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $258.72 | $1,176.00 | $36.00–$303.57 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Germantown Hosp Germantown, TN HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $258.72 | $1,176.00 | $36.00–$303.57 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp Memphis, TN HC Esophagram - Fl Esophagus Barium Swallow | $271.48 | $1,234.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $84.90, median $200.64, highest $271.48 — a 3.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $200.64. 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 9 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 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 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.