Swallow study cost in San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for Swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $417.06 to $1,276.00, with a median of $1,170.40. The lowest listed price is at Hayward Sisters Hospital — $753.34 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $577.50 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 11 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 23, 2026 and Jul 22, 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward Sisters Hospital lowest Hayward, CA FL MBS W/SPEECH | $417.06 | $1,390.20 | $86.20–$1,181.67 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA Swallowing Study W Scout Neck, Contrast | $652.00 | $1,630.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $1,170.40 | $2,090.00 | $238.00–$745.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Chinese Hospital Association San Francisco, CA Imaging for evaluation of swallowing function | $1,276.00 | $1,276.00 | $74.46–$2,296.80 | — | Jul 22, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $417.06, median $1,170.40, highest $1,276.00 — a 3.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $1,170.40. 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 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.