Barium swallow cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $224.00 to $850.50, with a median of $485.05. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $261.05 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $548.80 at 101 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 74220, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 ESOPHAGUS | $224.00 | $1,212.50 | $40.98–$1,212.50 | 82% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Esophagus | $451.50 | $602.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 RADIOLOGIC EXAM ESOPHAGUS SINGLE CONTRAST STUDY | $478.40 | $920.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 X-ray of esophagus with single contrast | $491.70 | $894.00 | $54.64–$1,206.90 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Xry-Esophagus | $662.25 | $883.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ESOPHAGRAM - FL ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $850.50 | $1,134.00 | $1.00–$1,111.32 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ESOPHAGRAM - FL ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $850.50 | $1,134.00 | $1.00–$1,020.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ESOPHAGRAM - FL ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $850.50 | $1,134.00 | $1.10–$1,295.36 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ESOPHAGRAM - FL ESOPHAGUS BARIUM SWALLOW | $850.50 | $1,134.00 | $1.30–$907.20 | 25% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $224.00, median $485.05, highest $850.50 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $491.70. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 9 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.