Barium swallow cost in Worcester, MA — inpatient
In Worcester, MA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) as an inpatient: from $445.00 to $717.00, with a median of $659.00. The lowest listed price is at Milford Regional Medical Center — $214.00 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $445.00 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 74220, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 26, 2026 and Apr 3, 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 Worcester, MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Regional Medical Center lowest Milford, MA · (508) 473-1190 Barium Swallow w/o air | $445.00 | $445.00 | $445.00 | — | — source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC Esophagus Incl Cst Radgrph and Dlyd Img, Single Contrast Study | $642.00 | $642.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC Barium Swallow Esophagus | $642.00 | $642.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Esophagus Incl Cst Radgrph and Dlyd Img, Single Contrast Study | $676.00 | $676.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Barium Swallow Esophagus | $676.00 | $676.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 HC Esophagus Incl Cst Radgrph and Dlyd Img, Single Contrast Study | $717.00 | $717.00 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 HC Barium Swallow Esophagus | $717.00 | $717.00 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $445.00, median $659.00, highest $717.00 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $659.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not 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.