Swallow study cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray) as an inpatient: from $86.94 to $136.32, with a median of $130.14. The lowest listed price is at St Charles Parish Hospital — $43.20 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $231.52 at 44 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 74230, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 16, 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Charles Parish Hospital lowest Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC XRAY, SWALLOW FUNCT, CINE/VIDEO, W/ SCOUT NECK RADIOGRAPH/IMG, W/CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $86.94 | $322.00 | — | 73% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC XRAY, SWALLOW FUNCT, CINE/VIDEO, W/ SCOUT NECK RADIOGRAPH/IMG, W/CONTRAST File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $127.40 | $455.00 | — | 72% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC XRAY, SWALLOW FUNCT, CINE/VIDEO, W/ SCOUT NECK RADIOGRAPH/IMG, W/CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.88 | $604.00 | — | 78% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC XRAY, SWALLOW FUNCT, CINE/VIDEO, W/ SCOUT NECK RADIOGRAPH/IMG, W/CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $136.32 | $426.00 | — | 68% |
Inpatient: lowest $86.94, median $130.14, highest $136.32 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $203.84 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.