Barium swallow cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $237.00 to $1,312.80, with a median of $821.40. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Jameson — $584.40 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $427.80 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 9 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Jameson lowest New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $237.00 | $395.00 | $296.25–$347.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Washington Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 ESOPHAGUS/BA SWALLOW | $277.80 | $463.00 | $324.10 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Washington Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST | $477.00 | $795.00 | $556.50 | 40% | — source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC LIMITED ESOPHOGRAM | $688.20 | $930.00 | $111.50–$177.06 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CNTRST | $688.20 | $930.00 | $111.50–$177.06 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Regional Medical Center Jefferson Hills, PA · (412) 469-5000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CNTRST | $753.30 | $930.00 | $79.03–$177.06 | 19% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $779.40 | $1,299.00 | $339.04–$1,104.15 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC ESOPHAGUS | $804.00 | $1,340.00 | $482.40–$1,246.20 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $810.00 | $1,350.00 | $468.45–$1,147.50 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $832.80 | $1,388.00 | $471.92–$1,110.40 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $873.00 | $1,455.00 | $445.23–$1,309.50 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC ESOPHAGUS | $903.60 | $1,506.00 | $542.16–$1,385.52 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $976.80 | $1,628.00 | $651.20–$1,465.20 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 ESOPHAGUS | $1,293.00 | $2,155.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 BARIUM SWALLOW/ESOPHAGUS | $1,293.00 | $2,155.00 | $969.75 | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 BA/RHB SWALLOW | $1,293.00 | $2,155.00 | $969.75 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 ESOPHAGUS X-RAY XM SNGL CNTRST | $1,312.80 | $2,188.00 | $1,422.20–$1,859.80 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $237.00, median $821.40, highest $1,312.80 — a 5.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $810.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.