Swallow study cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 14 hospitals list a cash price for Swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $170.82 to $1,248.00, with a median of $1,176.00. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $1,005.18 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $601.05 at 97 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 9 cities for code 74230, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX ESOPHAGUS SHALLOW W/CINE/VIDEO | $170.82 | $829.00 | $74.25–$538.85 | 79% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX ESOPHAGUS SHALLOW W/CINE/VIDEO | $170.82 | $829.00 | $74.25–$538.85 | 79% | — source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph LLC Houston, TX SWALLOWING FCN W CINE/VIDEO | $173.38 | $1,387.32 | $167.31–$246.68 | 88% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens Texas Galveston, TX X-RAY XM SWLNG FUNCJ C+ | $462.10 | $462.10 | $29.00–$356.04 | — | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC SWALLOW FUNCTION W/ CINE/VIDEO INCL DELAYED IMG & SCOUT NECK XR | $620.42 | $926.00 | $124.96–$879.70 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC SWALLOW FUNCTION W/ CINE/VIDEO INCL DELAYED IMG & SCOUT NECK XR | $620.42 | $926.00 | $124.96–$879.70 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC SWALLOW FUNCTION W/ CINE/VIDEO INCL DELAYED IMG & SCOUT NECK XR | $620.42 | $926.00 | $124.96–$879.70 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,176.00 | $2,352.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX HC X-RAY EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,248.00 | $2,496.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $170.82, median $1,176.00, highest $1,248.00 — a 7.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $1,176.00. 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 4 of 5 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.