Barium swallow cost in Riverside, CA — inpatient
In Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $259.65 to $1,508.02, with a median of $529.47. The lowest listed price is at Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta — $269.82 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $548.80 at 101 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 8 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 Sep 2, 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta lowest Murrieta, CA · (951) 290-4000 HC RDLGC XM ESPHGS SNGL CNTST STY | $259.65 | $577.00 | $104.44–$432.75 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta Murrieta, CA · (951) 290-4000 HC ESOPHOGRAM | $442.80 | $984.00 | $178.10–$738.00 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Moreno Valley Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 251-6530 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Riverside Riverside, CA · (951) 353-2000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fontana Fontana, CA · (909) 427-5000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Apple Valley, CA · (760) 242-2311 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $519.84 | $1,083.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center Redlands, CA HC ESOPHOGRAM | $539.10 | $1,198.00 | $658.90–$958.40 | 55% | Aug 31, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-4000 HC ESOPHOGRAM | $539.10 | $1,198.00 | $239.60–$1,078.20 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-4000 HC RDLGC XM ESPHGS SNGL CNTST STY | $539.10 | $1,198.00 | $239.60–$1,078.20 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-8000 HC ESOPHOGRAM | $593.55 | $1,319.00 | $263.80–$1,121.15 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-8000 HC RDLGC XM ESPHGS SNGL CNTST STY | $593.55 | $1,319.00 | $263.80–$1,121.15 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Palo Verde Hospital Blythe, CA · (760) 922-4115 XR Esophagus | $720.00 | $960.00 | — | 25% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Riverside University Medical Center Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 486-4000 HC Esophogram | $1,508.02 | $1,508.02 | $28.57–$1,508.02 | — | — source file |
| Riverside University Medical Center Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 486-4000 HC Esophogram | $1,508.02 | $1,508.02 | $28.57–$1,508.02 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $259.65, median $529.47, highest $1,508.02 — a 5.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $478.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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.