US Health Care Costs

Emergency room visit, level 3

CPT 99283 · Doctor and ER visits · hospital facility charge

At the 124 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,129, and most charge between $370 and $2,595 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,129typical cash price
$1,116typical commercial insurer rate
$1,989typical list price
124hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$890ID$1.5kMTNDMN$90IL$1.0kMI$375NY$1.8kMA$1.4kOR$970NV$4.6kWYSDIA$1.3kIN$543OH$1.1kPA$674NJ$361CT$2.2kRICA$1.9kUT$1.5kCONE$528MO$1.0kKY$767WVVA$491MD$289DE$958AZ$1.4kNMKSARTN$309NC$1.7kSC$821DCOK$794LAMSAL$660GA$622HITX$2.1kFL$1.7kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$660$660$660$660
Arizona2$1,356$408$2,304$445
California9$1,916$604$7,104$1,956
Connecticut1$2,167$2,167$2,167$4,134
Delaware1$958$958$958$1,268
Florida8$1,666$600$5,560$1,557
Georgia6$622$486$3,731$1,132
Iowa1$1,303$1,303$1,303$696
Idaho2$1,505$1,505$1,505$1,129
Illinois6$1,019$615$1,347$907
Indiana2$543$457$629$1,196
Kentucky2$767$423$1,112$688
Massachusetts3$1,409$709$1,409$720
Maryland1$289$289$289–
Michigan3$375$375$1,316$563
Minnesota1$90$90$90$502
Missouri4$1,012$435$1,089$1,115
North Carolina4$1,702$1,079$1,702$1,532
Nebraska1$528$528$528$749
New Jersey8$361$306$469$1,743
Nevada1$4,555$4,555$4,555$1,945
New York1$1,811$1,811$1,811$309
Ohio7$1,136$78$1,812$599
Oklahoma3$794$489$1,457$910
Oregon1$970$970$970$830
Pennsylvania8$674$308$1,365$721
South Carolina4$821$630$2,585$294
Tennessee2$309$309$309$1,007
Texas21$2,073$281$3,929$1,200
Utah2$1,542$1,245$1,839$1,582
Virginia6$491$491$3,686$866
Washington2$890$827$954$829
124 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does emergency room visit, level 3 cost at a hospital?

At 122 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for emergency room visit, level 3 is $1,129, and most charge between $370 and $2,595. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,116. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for emergency room visit, level 3?

At 47 of the 100 hospitals 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.

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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