Swallow study cost in Chico, CA
In Chico, CA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $51.99 to $672.00, with a median of $362.00. The lowest listed price is at Orchard Hospital — $310.01 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $577.52 at 152 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 74230, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 26, 2026 and Sep 26, 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 Chico, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Hospital lowest Gridley, CA · (530) 846-5671 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $51.99 | $86.65 | $25.16–$52.43 | 40% | Sep 26, 2026 source file |
| Oroville Hospital Oroville, CA · (530) 533-8500 Swallowing Function | $672.00 | $1,344.00 | $216.00–$1,478.00 | 50% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $51.99, median $362.00, highest $672.00 — a 12.9× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 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 swallow study films the mouth and throat on X-ray while you swallow foods and liquids with barium. It shows whether food goes into the airway and is often done with a speech therapist after a stroke.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the X-ray part. The speech therapist's evaluation is billed separately.