Barium swallow cost in Russellville, AL — inpatient
In Russellville, AL, 2 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $103.09 to $525.01, with a median of $314.05. The lowest listed price is at Russellville Hospital — $210.96 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $352.80 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jul 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 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 Russellville, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russellville Hospital lowest Russellville, AL · (256) 332-1611 BARIUM SWALLOW | $103.09 | $396.50 | $22.68–$237.90 | 74% | Jul 31, 2026 source file |
| Russellville Hospital lowest Russellville, AL · (256) 332-1611 ESOPHAGRAM | $103.09 | $396.50 | $22.68–$237.90 | 74% | Jul 31, 2026 source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 D-INSERT RETRIEVAL DEVICE R11 | $525.01 | $525.01 | $131.25–$409.51 | — | — source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 XR-ESOPHAGRAM W/H2O SOL CONTR | $834.00 | $834.00 | $165.56–$650.52 | — | — source file |
| Red Bay Hospital one side Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 OR-PLATE 2.0MM THICKNESS RT ME | $7,130.00 | $7,130.00 | $165.56–$5,561.40 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $103.09, median $314.05, highest $525.01 — a 5.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $314.05 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 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.