Barium swallow cost in Seattle, WA — inpatient
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $120.00 to $656.80, with a median of $532.50. The lowest listed price is at Seattle Children's Hospital — $412.50 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $571.94 at 30 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 11 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Children's Hospital lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Xr Esophagram | $120.00 | $120.00 | $16.26–$96.00 | — | — source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Esophogram Complete Sgl Contrast | $261.50 | $523.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $359.32 | $691.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 X-RAY ESOPHAGUS | $460.53 | $903.00 | $578.37–$722.40 | 49% | — source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $532.50 | $1,847.38 | $1,330.12–$1,385.54 | 71% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $561.88 | $1,847.38 | $1,330.12–$1,385.54 | 70% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $564.11 | $1,847.38 | $794.38–$1,662.65 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $579.76 | $1,847.38 | $1,330.12–$1,385.54 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $611.85 | $1,847.38 | $1,330.12–$1,385.54 | 67% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association Enumclaw, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $652.80 | $1,847.38 | $517.27–$1,662.65 | 65% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC CONTRAST X-RAY ESOPHAGUS | $656.80 | $821.00 | $69.79–$738.90 | 20% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $120.00, median $532.50, highest $656.80 — a 5.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $532.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 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 6 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.