Barium swallow cost in Portland, OR — inpatient
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $174.85 to $826.20, with a median of $747.00. The lowest listed price is at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center and 4 other hospitals — $572.15 less than the median here. Across Oregon, the median is $457.50 at 35 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center lowest Tualatin, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center lowest Vancouver, WA CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center lowest Portland, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center lowest Portland, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center lowest Gresham, OR CHG RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $174.85 | $269.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Portland, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center Gresham, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Portland, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center Tualatin, OR HC ESOPHAGUS | $481.65 | $741.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Vancouver, WA HC ESOPHAGUS | $529.10 | $814.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health and Services - Oregon Oregon City, OR HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $747.00 | $996.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health and Services - Oregon Portland, OR HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $747.00 | $996.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health and Services - Oregon Portland, OR HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $747.00 | $996.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health and Services - Oregon Milwaukie, OR HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $747.00 | $996.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health and Services - Oregon Newberg, OR HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $747.00 | $996.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center Clackamas, OR RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $826.20 | $972.00 | $294.00–$950.00 | 15% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Westside Hillsboro, OR RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $826.20 | $972.00 | $294.00–$950.00 | 15% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $174.85, median $747.00, highest $826.20 — a 4.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $587.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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.