How much is a typical emergency room visit

Have you ever been in a hospital emergency room? Maybe you broke your leg or had a burst appendix. When medical emergencies strike, an ER visit could spell the difference between life and death. 

But, like many things in the American health care system, the cost of this kind of life-saving hospital care varies widely based on where you live or which hospital you visit. 

Hospital Pricing Specialists collected billing data from nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country to gauge the average price of a moderate-severity ER visit  — the most common kind of visit — in each state. (Think acute pain of unknown origin, or a fever greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit.)

The overall price tag is made up of emergency room charges, lab and radiology tests, pharmacy and supply costs, and other hospital fees. Each line item also includes charges that go toward paying the health care providers themselves. 

In this gallery, the numbers are presented before any medical insurance is applied. Here are the 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) ranked by the pre-insurance cost of a moderate-severity ER visit.

51. Maryland

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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A moderate-severity ER visit in Maryland costs an average of $623 before insurance.

50. Maine

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Maine hospitals charge an average of $952 for moderate-severity emergency room visits.

49. West Virginia

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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A visit to a West Virginia ER will run you $1,127 on average.

48. Montana

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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The average price of emergency hospital care in Montana is $1,138.

47. Louisiana

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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A visit to a Louisiana ER costs an average of $1,184 before insurance.

To alleviate overcrowding at local hospitals, this New Orleans field hospital was built in 2020 to accommodate up to 1,000 COVID-19 patients.

46. Massachusetts

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Hospitals charge an average of $1,200 for moderate-severity ER visits in Massachusetts.

45. North Dakota

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Have a medical emergency in North Dakota? The average price tag for a moderate-severity visit will be around $1,245.

44. Michican

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Visits to emergency rooms in Michigan cost an average of $1,273.

43. Kansas

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Kansas hospitals charge around $1,294 per moderate-severity ER visit.

42. Arkansas

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It will run you around $1,304 to receive care in an Arkansas ER.

41. Iowa

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Iowa hospitals charge an average of $1,377 per ER visit.

Here, volunteers on the Strawberry Point Ambulance Service pose during a Christmas snowstorm.

40. Vermont

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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It costs an average of $1,386 for an ER visit in Vermont.

39. Wyoming

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Hospitals in Wyoming charge an average of $1,411 per moderate-severity ER visit.

38. Ohio

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Visits to the ER in Ohio cost an average of $1,435 before insurance.

37. Oregon

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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On average, ER visits in Oregon cost $1,437 before insurance.

36. Minnesota

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Minnesota hospitals charge an average of $1,462 per moderate-severity ER visit.

35. Utah

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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In Utah, the average ER visit costs around $1,464.

34. Oklahoma

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Before insurance, an ER visit in Oklahoma costs around $1,466.

33. Connecticut

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Connecticut emergency rooms charge an average of $1,493 before insurance.

31 (TIE). Wisconsin

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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A moderate-severity ER visit in Wisconsin will cost you around $1,496.

31 (TIE). Alabama

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In Alabama, you'll pay an average of $1,496 for a moderate-severity ER visit.

30. New Mexico

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It costs $1,574 for a moderate-severity ER visit in New Mexico.

29. Mississippi

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Mississippi hospitals have an average sticker price of $1,583 per ER visit.

28. North Carolina

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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It costs an average of $1,589 for ER treatment in North Carolina.

26 (TIE). Georgia

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Georgia emergency rooms charge an average of $1,596 before insurance.

26 (TIE). Delaware

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Before insurance, an ER visit in Delaware costs around $1,596.

25. Indiana

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Hospitals in Indiana charge an average of $1,618 per ER visit.

24. South Dakota

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The average sticker price of a South Dakota ER visit is $1,641.

23. Pennsylvania

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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A moderate-severity ER visit in Pennsylvania costs $1,645 before insurance.

22. New York

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The average visit to the ER in New York comes in at $1,668. 

21. Missouri

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Missouri hospitals charge $1,717 before insurance.

20. Kentucky

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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In Kentucky, hospitals bill an average of $1,740 per ER visit.

19. Rhode Island

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Before insurance, the average Rhode Island ER visit costs $1,750.

18. South Carolina

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It costs an average of $1,758 for an ER visit in South Carolina.

17. New Hampshire

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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In New Hampshire, a moderate-severity ER visit costs an average of $1,787.

16. Illinois

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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For an ER visit in Illinois, hospitals bill an average of $1,818 before insurance.

15. Washington

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Washington hospitals charge $1,841, on average, for each ER visit.

Here, a COVID-19 survivor donates convalescent plasma in Seattle.

14. Nebraska

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Nebraska emergency rooms charge an average of $1,844 before insurance.

13. Washington D.C.

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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In the nation's capital, hospitals charge $1,879 for the average moderate-severity ER visit.

12. Tennessee

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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In this Appalachian state, the average ER visit rings up at $1,883 before insurance.

11. Virginia

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Hospitals in Virginia charge ER patients an average of $1,941 for moderate-severity cases.

10. Alaska

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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On average, it costs $2,070 to receive ER treatment in Alaska.

9. Hawaii

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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An ER visit in Hawaii costs an average of $2,076 before insurance.

8. Idaho

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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The average visit to the ER in Idaho comes in at $2,159. 

7. Arizona

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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It costs an average of $2,283 per visit to an Arizona emergency room.

6. Texas

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Everything is bigger in Texas? The ER bills are certainly quite large. Hospitals charge an average of $2,318 per visit.

5. Nevada

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Before insurance, the average Nevada emergency room bill rings in at $2,583.

4. Colorado

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Hospitals in Colorado charge an average of $2,886 per ER visit.

3. California

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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ER visits in the Golden State cost an average of $2,960 before insurance.

2. New Jersey

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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New Jersey hospitals bill a whopping $3,087 per ER visit before insurance.

1. Florida

How much is a typical emergency room visit
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Florida is the most expensive state for emergency room visits. Moderate-severity ER patients are billed an average of $3,102 before. insurance.

What is the most common ER visit?

The number one and the most common ER visit is due to headaches. They are the most common ailments amongst people and it stands to reason that headaches are the most common reason for a person to visit the ER.

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How much is an ER visit in Florida without insurance?

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