Swallow study cost in Little Rock, AR
In Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, 6 hospitals list a cash price for swallow study (modified barium swallow, video X-ray): from $112.29 to $406.50, with a median of $149.26. The lowest listed price is at Conway Regional Medical Center — $36.97 less than the median here. Across Arkansas, the median is $213.89 at 23 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 74230, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Jul 2, 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conway Regional Medical Center lowest Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 SWALLOW STUDY W/VIDEO | $112.29 | $510.39 | $102.08–$510.39 | 78% | Jul 2, 2026 source file |
| Conway Regional Medical Center lowest Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 PEDIATRIC SWALLOW STUDY | $112.29 | $510.39 | $102.08–$510.39 | 78% | Jul 2, 2026 source file |
| St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center Sherwood, AR · (501) 552-7100 CR SWALLOWING FUNCT W VIDEO | $133.46 | $525.00 | $65.83–$401.74 | 75% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Vincent Infirmary Medical Center Little Rock, AR · (501) 552-3000 CR SWALLOWING FUNCT W VIDEO | $134.72 | $525.00 | $29.00–$401.74 | 74% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 IMAGING FOR EVALUATION OF SWALLOWING FUNCTION | $163.80 | $273.00 | $29.00–$887.00 | 40% | — source file |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 X-RAY XM SWLNG FUNCJ C+ | $178.80 | $298.00 | $29.00–$887.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 219-7000 XR Esophagram | $241.60 | $302.00 | $151.00–$226.50 | 20% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 219-7000 XR Esophagram - Report | $241.60 | $302.00 | $151.00–$226.50 | 20% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 X-RAY XM SWLNG FUNCJ C+ | $406.50 | $451.67 | $138.33–$171.39 | 10% | — source file |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 IMAGING FOR EVALUATION OF SWALLOWING FUNCTION | $463.12 | $514.58 | $138.33–$171.39 | 10% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $112.29, median $149.26, highest $406.50 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $133.46. 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 4 of 6 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.