Swallow study cost in Louisville, KY
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 6 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $91.84 to $1,252.79, with a median of $997.80. The lowest listed price is at Norton Clark Hospital — $905.96 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $1,179.90 at 14 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 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 Feb 11, 2026 and Sep 18, 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Clark Hospital lowest Jeffersonville, IN · (812) 283-2147 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $91.84 | $656.00 | $45.99–$574.00 | 86% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,009.29 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,009.29 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,009.29 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,009.29 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,009.29 | 80% | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB MODIFIED BARIUM SWALLOW | $241.40 | $1,207.00 | $90.44–$1,025.95 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Harrison County Hospital Corydon, IN · (812) 738-4251 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $742.80 | $1,238.00 | $45.99–$1,114.20 | 40% | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Floyd New Albany, IN · (812) 944-7701 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $1,252.79 | $1,670.39 | $45.99–$2,505.59 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health LaGrange La Grange, KY · (502) 222-5388 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $1,252.79 | $1,670.39 | $150.34–$3,340.78 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Louisville Louisville, KY · (502) 897-8100 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $1,252.79 | $1,670.39 | $124.75–$3,340.78 | 25% | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $91.84, median $997.80, highest $1,252.79 — a 13.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $166.62. 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 6 of 6 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.