US Health Care Costs

Barium swallow X-ray (esophagus) in California

CPT 74220 · hospital facility charge

Cash prices range from $234 to $3,488 at the 11 California hospitals whose price files we have read so far.

Estimate what you would pay

$851typical cash price
$350typical commercial insurer rate
$234–$3.5kcash price range, 9 hospitals
Cash price by hospital, lowest first
Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas
$234
El Camino Health
$595
Uci Health-Lakewood
$637
Uci Health-Orange
$637
Sharp Memorial Hospital
$851
University of California Davis Medical Center
$905
Stanford Health Care
$1,014
Mercy Medical Center Redding
$1,059
Good Samaritan Hospital
$3,488

California typical cash price: $851

California hospitals compared

HospitalCityList priceCash priceInsurers (median)
Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasEncinitas$935$234$319$150–$533 · 79 plans
El Camino HealthMountain View$2,381$595–
Uci Health-LakewoodLakewood$1,592$637$350$332–$505 · 5 plans
Uci Health-OrangeOrange$1,592$637$350$332–$505 · 5 plans
Sharp Memorial HospitalSan Diego$1,134$851$720$246–$851 · 15 plans
University of California Davis Medical CenterSacramento$2,263$905$47$47–$241 · 23 plans
Stanford Health CareStanford$2,534$1,014–
Mercy Medical Center ReddingRedding$2,107$1,059$450$343–$2,031 · 13 plans
Good Samaritan HospitalSan Jose$3,488$3,488$1,831$261–$3,331 · 34 plans
Hoag Memorial Hospital PresbyterianNewport Beach––$283$215–$319 · 4 plans
Ronald Reagan Ucla Medical CenterLos Angeles––$306$188–$559 · 9 plans
Only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor (radiologist, surgeon, anesthesiologist) usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does barium swallow X-ray (esophagus) cost at a hospital in California?

At 9 California hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for barium swallow X-ray (esophagus) is $851, and most charge between $523 and $1,545. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $350. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for barium swallow X-ray (esophagus)?

At 1 of the 7 hospitals in California that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Which hospital in California has the lowest cash price for barium swallow X-ray (esophagus)?

Of the hospitals whose price files we have read, the lowest published cash price is $234 at Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas. Confirm the price with the hospital before you book.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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