Swallow study cost in Philadelphia, PA — inpatient
In Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 14 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray) as an inpatient: from $314.60 to $1,158.00, with a median of $391.13. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and 1 other hospital — $76.53 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $563.65 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 13 cities for code 74230, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 24, 2026 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital lowest Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Xr Swallowing Function W/Ciner/Videoradiography Neck Radiographs(S)&Delayed Images Contrast Study | $314.60 | $484.00 | $45.98–$487.26 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital lowest Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Xr Swallowing Function W/Ciner/Videoradiography Neck Radiographs(S)&Delayed Images Contrast Study | $314.60 | $484.00 | $53.41–$607.01 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Paoli Hospital Paoli, PA · (610) 648-1000 Hc Swallowing Function Cine/Video | $350.40 | $876.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Riddle Memorial Hospital Media, PA · (610) 566-9400 Hc Swallowing Function Cine/Video | $350.40 | $876.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lankenau Medical Center Wynnewood, PA · (610) 645-2000 Hc Swallowing Function Cine/Video | $350.40 | $876.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr, PA · (610) 526-3000 Hc Swallowing Function Cine/Video | $350.40 | $876.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Malvern, PA Hc Swallowing Function Cine/Video | $350.40 | $876.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury, NJ VIDEO SWALLOW FUNC | $431.85 | $431.85 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill, NJ VIDEO SWALLOW FUNC | $431.85 | $431.85 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer, NJ · (856) 363-1000 VIDEO SWALLOW FUNC | $431.85 | $431.85 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem, NJ VIDEO SWALLOW FUNC | $431.85 | $431.85 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Xr Swallowing Function W/Ciner/Videoradiography Neck Radiographs(S)&Delayed Images Contrast Study | $482.95 | $743.00 | $45.98–$705.85 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Xr Swallowing Function W/Ciner/Videoradiography Neck Radiographs(S)&Delayed Images Contrast Study | $485.55 | $747.00 | $182.96–$717.12 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Swallowing Function | $1,158.00 | $1,158.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Swallowing Function | $1,158.00 | $1,158.00 | — | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $314.60, median $391.13, highest $1,158.00 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 22 facilities here, median $350.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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.