Swallow study cost in Los Angeles, CA — inpatient
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 27 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray) as an inpatient: from $521.85 to $2,211.35, with a median of $546.00. The lowest listed price is at Saint John's Health Center — $24.15 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $577.50 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 27 facilities across 18 cities for code 74230, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 26, 2025 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint John's Health Center lowest Santa Monica, CA · (310) 829-5511 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $521.85 | $1,491.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health-Orange Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HB RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $532.00 | $1,330.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Los Alamitos Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 SWAL FUNC W/CINE/VIDEO+CM STDY | $532.00 | $1,330.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Fountain Valley Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 SWAL FUNC W/CINE/VIDEO+CM STDY | $532.00 | $1,330.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Placentia Linda Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 SWAL FUNC W/CINE/VIDEO+CM STDY | $532.00 | $1,330.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Woodland Hills Woodland Hills, CA · (818) 719-3800 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Irvine Irvine, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Panorama City Panorama City, CA · (818) 375-2000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey Downey, CA · (562) 461-6007 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Anaheim Anaheim, CA · (714) 279-4000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South Bay Harbor City, CA · (310) 325-5111 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Baldwin Park, CA · (626) 851-1011 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West la Los Angeles, CA · (213) 857-2201 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · (323) 783-4011 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Burbank, CA · (818) 843-5111 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $565.25 | $1,615.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance, CA · (310) 540-7676 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $577.50 | $1,650.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Co of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA · (310) 832-3311 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $577.50 | $1,650.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $598.56 | $1,247.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $660.00 | $1,375.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA · (818) 365-8051 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $695.45 | $1,987.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Lakewood Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 SWAL FUNC W/CINE/VIDEO+CM STDY | $706.40 | $1,766.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $757.92 | $1,579.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Tarzana, CA · (818) 881-0800 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $831.95 | $2,377.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 HB XR SWALLOW CINE VIDEO CONT STUDY | $836.92 | $1,287.57 | $221.67–$9,712.00 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| USC Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital Los Angeles, CA X-Ray Xm Swlng Funcj C+ | $1,313.00 | $1,313.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles, CA · (323) 442-8656 X-Ray Xm Swlng Funcj C+ | $1,369.50 | $1,369.50 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 HB XR SWALLOW CINE VIDEO CONT STUDY | $2,211.35 | $3,402.07 | $221.67–$14,761.00 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $521.85, median $546.00, highest $2,211.35 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 30 facilities here, median $546.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 11 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.