Barium swallow cost in Washington
In Washington, 49 hospitals publish a cash price for barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast): from $205.44 to $1,008.00, with a median of $558.60. The lowest price is at Swedish Issaquah (Issaquah) and 2 other hospitals. The highest price is 4.9× the lowest.
- The median here, $558.60, is 25% above the US median of $447.60.
- That is 3.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($179.20).
- Washington ranks 36th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 3 of 49 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Washington law (RCW 70.170.060) requires hospital charity care: patients with family income up to 300% of the federal poverty level owe nothing at hospitals in large health systems (200% at other hospitals), with 75% and 50% discounts up to 400% (300% at other hospitals). It covers the part of the bill a patient owes, insured or not. Ask the hospital for its charity care application. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 74220. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 11, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$205.44Swedish Issaquah + 2 more
Median$558.60half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,008.00in Washington
Lowest saves$353.16vs the median
Hospitals in Washington, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish Issaquah lowest Issaquah · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $205.44 | $428.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center lowest Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $205.44 | $428.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill lowest Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $205.44 | $428.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Hc Esophogram Complete Sgl Contrast | $261.50 | $523.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Othello Community Hospital Othello · Othello, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $315.75 | $421.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $359.32 | $691.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Prov Sacred Hrt Medical Center & Childs Hospital Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $376.60 | $538.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $413.00 | $590.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $413.00 | $590.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $421.79 | $1,462.51 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Willapa Harbor Hospital South Bend · South Bend, WA X-RAY XM ESOPHAGUS 1CNTRST | $441.70 | $631.00 | Feb 24, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $444.75 | $1,462.51 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $445.19 | $1,462.51 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $449.73 | $1,462.51 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Ocean Beach Hospital Ilwaco · Ilwaco, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $455.25 | $607.00 | Oct 23, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA X-RAY ESOPHAGUS | $460.53 | $903.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Prosser Memorial Health Hospital Prosser · Kennewick-Richland, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $469.15 | $853.00 | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| Lourdes Health Pasco · Kennewick-Richland, WA X-RAY XM ESOPHAGUS 1CNTRST | $483.43 | $1,208.58 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Family Hospital Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $507.50 | $725.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Olympic Medical Center Port Angeles · Port Angeles, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $508.00 | $635.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Vancouver · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA HC ESOPHAGUS | $529.10 | $814.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Spokane Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA X-RAY XM ESOPHAGUS 1CNTRST | $535.20 | $535.20 | Mar 18, 2026 source file |
| St Elizabeth Hospital Enumclaw · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $537.04 | $1,462.51 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital Moses Lake · Moses Lake, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $556.00 | $556.00 | Jan 4, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla · Walla Walla, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $558.60 | $798.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Whitman Hospital and Medical Center Colfax · Pullman, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $608.80 | $761.00 | Jun 29, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $611.85 | $1,847.38 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA "RAD EXAM, ESOPHAGUS INCL SCOUT CHEST RADIOGRAPH, SINGLE-CONTRAST STUDY" | $616.00 | $770.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Confluence Health Hospital Wenatchee · Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA HC Xr Esophagus (Barium Swallow) | $619.20 | $688.00 | Aug 10, 2026 source file |
| Valley Medical Center Renton · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Radiologic Exam Esophagus Single Contrast Study | $649.60 | $928.00 | Mar 12, 2026 source file |
| Astria Sunnyside Hospital Sunnyside · Kennewick-Richland, WA XR Esophagus | $653.22 | $1,146.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC CONTRAST X-RAY ESOPHAGUS | $656.80 | $821.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics Shelton · Shelton, WA XR Esophagus | $664.05 | $885.40 | Mar 10, 2026 source file |
| Kadlec Regional Medical Center Richland · Kennewick-Richland, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $676.90 | $967.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Medical Center Leavenworth · Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA Xray xm esophagus 1cntrst stdy | $702.40 | $878.00 | May 15, 2026 source file |
| Kittitas County Public Hospital Dist 1 Ellensburg · Ellensburg, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $723.35 | $851.00 | Oct 7, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Healthcare Port Townsend · Port Townsend, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $729.60 | $912.00 | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth United General Medical Center Sedro Woolley · Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA SINGLE CONTRAST X-RAY OF ESOPHAGUS | $774.15 | $1,191.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Forks Community Hospital Forks · Port Townsend, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $775.20 | $969.00 | Oct 27, 2026 source file |
| St. Michael Medical Center Silverdale · Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA HC ESOPHAGRAM W/KUB | $815.34 | $1,847.38 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Pullman Regional Hospital Pullman · Pullman, WA Single contrast X-ray of esophagus | $858.50 | $1,010.00 | Jun 9, 2026 source file |
| Astria Toppenish Hospital Toppenish · Yakima, WA XR Esophagus | $902.85 | $1,389.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center Bellingham · Bellingham, WA SINGLE CONTRAST X-RAY OF ESOPHAGUS | $909.35 | $1,399.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Skagit Valley Hospital Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA HC CONTRAST X-RAY ESOPHAGUS | $916.80 | $1,146.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia · Centralia, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $935.48 | $1,799.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Peter Hospital Olympia · Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA HC XR ESOPHAGUS W CONTRAST | $935.48 | $1,799.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA SINGLE CONTRAST X-RAY OF ESOPHAGUS | $937.95 | $1,443.00 | Mar 20, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth St John Medical Center Longview · Longview-Kelso, WA SINGLE CONTRAST X-RAY OF ESOPHAGUS | $1,006.20 | $1,548.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Esophagram | $1,008.00 | $1,008.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 16 | $205.44 | $447.46 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 5 | $376.60 | $413.00 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 4 | $469.15 | $568.32 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 2 | $774.15 | $845.48 |
| Port Townsend, WA | 2 | $729.60 | $752.40 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2 | $529.10 | $733.52 |
| Pullman, WA | 2 | $608.80 | $733.65 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 2 | $619.20 | $660.80 |
| Bellingham, WA | 1 | $909.35 | $909.35 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 1 | $815.34 | $815.34 |
| Centralia, WA | 1 | $935.48 | $935.48 |
| Ellensburg, WA | 1 | $723.35 | $723.35 |
| Ilwaco, WA | 1 | $455.25 | $455.25 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 1 | $1,006.20 | $1,006.20 |
| Moses Lake, WA | 1 | $556.00 | $556.00 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 1 | $935.48 | $935.48 |
| Othello, WA | 1 | $315.75 | $315.75 |
| Port Angeles, WA | 1 | $508.00 | $508.00 |
| South Bend, WA | 1 | $441.70 | $441.70 |
| Shelton, WA | 1 | $664.05 | $664.05 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 1 | $558.60 | $558.60 |
| Yakima, WA | 1 | $902.85 | $902.85 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What barium swallow is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Barium swallow explained.
Barium swallow (esophagus X-ray with contrast) in other states
- Alabama$276.42
- Alaska$815.79
- Arizona$341.04
- Arkansas$231.89
- California$605.53
- Colorado$638.10
- Connecticut$644.66
- Delaware$416.23
- District of Columbia$479.63, 3 hospitals
- Florida$840.67
- Georgia$343.53
- Hawaii$490.00
- Idaho$419.90
- Illinois$609.72
- Indiana$465.25
- Iowa$364.41
- Kansas$422.45
- Kentucky$437.32
- Louisiana$215.60
- Maine$361.59
- Maryland$573.68
- Massachusetts$535.50
- Michigan$289.25
- Minnesota$309.81
- Mississippi$221.60
- Missouri$433.55
- Montana$355.36
- Nebraska$627.25
- Nevada$565.39
- New Hampshire$605.65
- New Jersey$209.65
- New Mexico$490.05
- New York$342.50
- North Carolina$443.00
- North Dakota$358.15
- Ohio$442.50
- Oklahoma$293.54
- Oregon$558.63
- Pennsylvania$460.00
- Puerto Rico$202.50, 4 hospitals
- Rhode Island$446.00
- South Carolina$466.20
- South Dakota$829.00
- Tennessee$219.31
- Texas$521.39
- Utah$660.77
- Vermont$862.64
- Virginia$485.00
- West Virginia$368.51
- Wisconsin$530.00
- Wyoming$456.57
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.