US Health Care Costs

Emergency room visit, level 4

CPT 99284 · Doctor and ER visits · hospital facility charge

At the 124 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,855, and most charge between $569 and $4,321 (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

$1,855typical cash price
$1,387typical commercial insurer rate
$2,973typical list price
124hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$1.5kID$2.3kMTNDMN$222IL$1.6kMI$574NY$3.1kMA$1.9kOR$1.7kNV$5.9kWYSDIA$2.0kIN$874OH$1.9kPA$944NJ$541CT$3.5kRICA$4.6kUT$2.3kCONE$616MO$1.6kKY$1.2kWVVA$910MD$578DE$1.4kAZ$2.1kNMKSARTN$504NC$1.8kSC$1.2kDCOK$1.2kLAMSAL$1.0kGA$833HITX$2.8kFL$2.7kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$1,029$1,029$1,029$1,016
Arizona2$2,132$682$3,583$714
California9$4,591$1,985$13,840$4,576
Connecticut1$3,483$3,483$3,483$3,666
Delaware1$1,431$1,431$1,431$1,938
Florida8$2,737$958$8,261$2,423
Georgia6$833$639$3,780$1,384
Iowa1$2,047$2,047$2,047$1,063
Idaho2$2,314$2,314$2,314$1,735
Illinois6$1,607$1,065$2,525$1,678
Indiana2$874$722$1,025$1,966
Kentucky2$1,186$663$1,710$1,067
Massachusetts3$1,873$1,650$1,873$956
Maryland1$578$578$578–
Michigan3$574$574$2,235$965
Minnesota1$222$222$222$725
Missouri4$1,632$671$2,052$1,495
North Carolina4$1,782$1,138$1,782$1,598
Nebraska1$616$616$616$1,204
New Jersey8$541$471$643$2,108
Nevada1$5,940$5,940$5,940$4,416
New York1$3,065$3,065$3,065$500
Ohio7$1,879$107$3,716$916
Oklahoma3$1,203$769$2,433$1,487
Oregon1$1,669$1,669$1,669$1,387
Pennsylvania8$944$471$2,404$937
South Carolina4$1,246$976$3,857$459
Tennessee2$504$504$504$1,065
Texas21$2,799$451$6,522$2,444
Utah2$2,313$1,867$2,759$2,382
Virginia6$910$910$4,337$1,324
Washington2$1,528$1,394$1,663$1,287
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 4 cost at a hospital?

At 122 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for emergency room visit, level 4 is $1,855, and most charge between $569 and $4,321. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,387. 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 4?

At 42 of the 101 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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