Barium swallow cost in Portland, ME — inpatient
In Portland-South Portland, ME, 4 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $305.40 to $1,272.50, with a median of $711.00. The lowest listed price is at York Hospital — $405.60 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $513.45 at 14 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 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 Sep 9, 2025 and Sep 9, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Portland-South Portland, ME.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York Hospital lowest York, ME · (207) 351-2478 BARIUM SWALLOW/ESOPHAGRAM SGL CONT 74220 | $305.40 | $509.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC XRAY ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $545.15 | $545.15 | $401.01–$512.44 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 HC XRAY ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $876.85 | $876.85 | $645.01–$824.24 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME · (207) 729-0181 HC XRAY ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $1,272.50 | $1,272.50 | $898.39–$1,201.24 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $305.40, median $711.00, highest $1,272.50 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $545.15 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 0 of 3 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.