Prices at 70 hospitals in North Carolina, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $386 — 13% below the US median ($441), roughly 3.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECU Health Bertie Hospital | Windsor, NC | $147 | $164 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| Alamance Regional Medical Center | Burlington, NC | $178 | $98 | ★ 3/5 | 228 min | — |
| Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, The | Greensboro, NC | $178 | $106 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| Dlp Swain County Hospital Llc | Bryson City, NC | $197 | — | — | 81 min | — |
| UNC Health Care Wayne | Goldsboro, NC | $226 | $167 | ★ 3/5 | 190 min | — |
| Duke University Hospital | Durham, NC | $227 | $211 | ★ 5/5 | 317 min | — |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital | Mooresville, NC | $227 | $177 | ★ 1/5 | 190 min | — |
| Duke Regional Hospital | Durham, NC | $227 | $211 | ★ 5/5 | 255 min | — |
| Wilkes Regional Medical Center | North Wilkesboro, NC | $245 | $148 | ★ 3/5 | 164 min | — |
| Pender Memorial Hospital | Burgaw, NC | $283 | $199 | — | — | — |
| Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $286 | $175 | ★ 5/5 | 162 min | — |
| Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | Winston-salem, NC | $290 | $175 | ★ 4/5 | 206 min | — |
| UNC Rockingham | Eden, NC | $290 | $167 | ★ 4/5 | 187 min | — |
| Wakemed, Raleigh Campus | Raleigh, NC | $292 | $226 | ★ 4/5 | 204 min | — |
| Wakemed, Cary Hospital | Cary, NC | $292 | $214 | ★ 5/5 | 196 min | — |
| UNC Lenoir Health Care | Kinston, NC | $308 | $182 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| Washington County Hosp Inc | Plymouth, NC | $314 | — | — | — | — |
| Novant Health Medical Park Hospital | Winston-salem, NC | $317 | $170 | ★ 5/5 | — | — |
| Caldwell Memorial Hospital | Lenoir, NC | $318 | $167 | ★ 3/5 | 205 min | — |
| Catawba Valley Medical Center | Hickory, NC | $320 | $179 | ★ 2/5 | 228 min | — |
| Chatham Hospital Inc | Siler City, NC | $327 | $163 | ★ 4/5 | 222 min | — |
| Pardee Hospital Henderson County | Hendersonville, NC | $332 | $167 | ★ 5/5 | 158 min | — |
| High Point Regional Health System | High Point, NC | $335 | $294 | ★ 2/5 | 247 min | — |
| Novant Health Matthews Medical Center | Matthews, NC | $335 | $175 | ★ 5/5 | 244 min | — |
| Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center | Huntersville, NC | $335 | $175 | ★ 4/5 | 204 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $386 — about 3.6× the Medicare rate ($107). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($214).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $730 list price could save about $344 (47%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
Barium swallow study cost in other states
All Barium swallow study prices (national) → · All hospitals in North Carolina →