Swallow study cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $205.44 to $682.95, with a median of $572.46. The lowest listed price is at Swedish Issaquah and 1 other hospital — $367.02 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $572.46 at 28 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 28, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish Issaquah lowest Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $205.44 | $428.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $205.44 | $428.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $205.44 | $428.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Modified Barium Swallow | $283.50 | $567.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $359.32 | $691.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 XRAY SWALLOW FUNCT W/VIDEO | $419.22 | $822.00 | $493.20–$657.60 | 49% | — source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC XR RADIOLOGIC EXAM SWALLOW FUNCTION CONTRAST STUDY | $424.80 | $885.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $557.09 | $1,932.70 | $201.77–$1,449.53 | 71% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $587.83 | $1,932.70 | $201.77–$1,449.53 | 70% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $590.17 | $1,932.70 | $198.14–$1,739.43 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC ESOPHAGUS/SWALLOW/FUNCT. VIDEO | $603.20 | $754.00 | $186.92–$697.18 | 20% | — source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $606.53 | $1,932.70 | $198.14–$1,449.53 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $640.11 | $1,932.70 | $201.77–$1,449.53 | 67% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association Enumclaw, WA HC SWALOW FUNC W CIN/VIDEO W/KUB | $682.95 | $1,932.70 | $204.25–$1,739.43 | 65% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $205.44, median $572.46, highest $682.95 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $572.46. 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 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.