Barium swallow cost in Virginia Beach, VA
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, 10 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $424.31 to $928.25, with a median of $436.50. The lowest listed price is at Chesapeake General Hospital — $12.19 less than the median here. Across Virginia, the median is $451.50 at 35 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 7 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 Mar 17, 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake General Hospital lowest Chesapeake, VA · (757) 312-8121 Hc Fluro Esophagram | $424.31 | $707.19 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 395-8000 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hospital for Extended Recovery Norfolk, VA · (757) 388-3000 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Sentara Princess Anne Hospital Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 507-1520 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Careplex Hospital Hampton, VA · (757) 827-2545 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Urography Retrograde With/Wo Kub | $436.50 | $873.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Careplex Hospital Hampton, VA · (757) 827-2545 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Princess Anne Hospital Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 507-1520 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 395-8000 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hospital for Extended Recovery Norfolk, VA · (757) 388-3000 Chgr-Barium Swallow | $587.50 | $1,175.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Mary Immaculate Hospital Newport News, VA · (757) 886-6000 HC Fluro Esophagram | $820.20 | $1,367.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bon Secours Harbour View Medical Center Suffolk, VA · (757) 673-5917 HC Fluro Esophagram | $820.20 | $1,367.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center Portsmouth, VA · (757) 398-2200 HC Fluro Esophagram | $820.20 | $1,367.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Norfolk, VA · (757) 668-9647 ESOPHAGRAM | $928.25 | $1,031.39 | $237.22–$979.82 | 10% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $424.31, median $436.50, highest $928.25 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $436.50. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.