Swallow study cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $224.00 to $906.75, with a median of $603.75. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $379.75 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $577.50 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 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 Apr 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 SWALLOW FUNCT CINE/VIDEO | $224.00 | $1,212.50 | $59.57–$1,212.50 | 82% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $482.35 | $877.00 | $74.46–$1,183.95 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $546.00 | $1,050.00 | $161.00–$480.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC CINE/VID X-RAY THROAT/ESOPH - FL ESOPH BARIUM SWLW W/ VIDEO & SPEECH | $661.50 | $882.00 | $261.95–$864.36 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC CINE/VID X-RAY THROAT/ESOPH - FL ESOPH BARIUM SWLW W/ VIDEO & SPEECH | $661.50 | $882.00 | $1.15–$1,220.49 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC CINE/VID X-RAY THROAT/ESOPH - FL ESOPH BARIUM SWLW W/ VIDEO & SPEECH | $661.50 | $882.00 | $1.00–$723.24 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC CINE/VID X-RAY THROAT/ESOPH - FL ESOPH BARIUM SWLW W/ VIDEO & SPEECH | $661.50 | $882.00 | $1.10–$723.24 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Xry-Dysphagia Protocol | $906.75 | $1,209.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $224.00, median $603.75, highest $906.75 — a 4.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $661.50. 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 9 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.