Cost of a ER Visit (High) Visit
in Alabama
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Alabama's rural hospital network faces ongoing financial pressures, with several critical access hospitals closing in recent years, making ER Visit (High) services increasingly concentrated in urban centers. For high-severity emergency care in Alabama, patients typically pay between $80 and $257, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $143 based on negotiated insurance rates. Alabama maintains over 3,300 active emergency providers across the state, offering patients multiple options for urgent care needs.
Average
$160
Median
$143
Lowest
$80
Highest
$257
Providers
3,304
15% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does er visit (high severity) compare to related procedures in Alabama?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ER Visit (Low Severity) Emergency department visit, low severity | 99283 | $49 | $59 | $131 | 3,291 |
| ER Visit (Moderate Severity) Emergency department visit, moderate severity | 99284 | $80 | $98 | $194 | 3,318 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 99285 — Emergency department visit, high severity). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 99285 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 99285 (Emergency department visit, high severity), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 99285 covers: the provider's professional fee for er visit (high severity). It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Top-Rated Hospitals in Alabama
These hospitals in Alabama are top-rated for patient satisfaction. Review data sourced from HCAHPS Patient Survey.
FAYETTE, AL
DADEVILLE, AL
PHENIX CITY, AL
BIRMINGHAM, AL
TROY, AL
Hospital ratings are based on HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey data published by CMS.
Why ER Visit (High) Visit Costs Vary Across Alabama
Alabama's emergency care costs average 2% below national rates, reflecting the state's lower cost of living and reduced physician reimbursement compared to coastal states. The concentration of emergency services in major metropolitan areas creates significant access challenges for rural populations, who may travel over an hour to reach the nearest emergency department.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Alabama's rural counties have experienced numerous hospital closures, forcing residents to travel to Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, or Huntsville for emergency care. This geographic concentration drives up costs in urban emergency departments due to increased demand and higher patient acuity from delayed care. Rural emergency departments that remain open often operate with limited specialist backup, potentially requiring costly transfers to tertiary care centers.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Major health systems like UAB Medicine, Baptist Health, and Ascension Saint Thomas dominate Alabama's emergency care landscape, with hospital-employed physicians becoming increasingly common. Academic medical centers in Birmingham and Mobile carry higher overhead costs due to teaching responsibilities and research programs, reflected in their emergency department pricing. Independent emergency medicine groups are becoming rare in Alabama, with most physicians now employed directly by hospital systems.
Insurance Market Competition in Alabama
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama controls approximately 90% of the individual insurance market, creating limited competition that can result in less aggressive rate negotiations with emergency providers. The absence of robust insurer competition means emergency departments have less pressure to offer competitive contracted rates. Alabama's smaller regional insurers like Viva Health have limited market share, reducing their negotiating power with emergency care providers.
Physician Supply and Demand in Alabama
With over 3,300 emergency providers statewide, Alabama maintains adequate emergency physician coverage in urban areas but faces shortages in rural regions. The state's medical schools at UAB and South Alabama help maintain physician supply, though many graduates leave for higher-paying opportunities in other states. Emergency medicine residency programs in Alabama help retain some physicians, but the rural-urban distribution remains heavily skewed toward metropolitan areas.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.
Frequently Asked Questions — ER Visit (High) Costs in Alabama
What is the average cost of a ER Visit (High) visit in Alabama without insurance?
Does Alabama Medicaid cover ER Visit (High) visits?
How do I find an affordable ER Visit (High) near me in Alabama?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a ER Visit (High) visit in Alabama?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a ER Visit (High) in Alabama?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 99285)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin Range: $73 – $940 | $430 |
| 2 | New Hampshire Range: $150 – $446 | $294 |
| 3 | Illinois Range: $80 – $569 | $285 |
| 4 | Iowa Range: $85 – $538 | $275 |
| 5 | Louisiana Range: $98 – $536 | $261 |
| 6 | New York Range: $80 – $543 | $260 |
| 7 | Maine Range: $170 – $337 | $251 |
| 8 | Nebraska Range: $123 – $422 | $236 |
| 9 | Washington Range: $80 – $379 | $224 |
| 10 | Colorado Range: $80 – $390 | $219 |
| 11 | New Mexico Range: $88 – $389 | $218 |
| 12 | Wyoming Range: $88 – $385 | $217 |
| 13 | Vermont Range: $98 – $356 | $216 |
| 14 | Rhode Island Range: $80 – $429 | $202 |
| 15 | Massachusetts Range: $80 – $428 | $202 |
| 16 | Georgia Range: $85 – $333 | $198 |
| 17 | North Carolina Range: $80 – $330 | $188 |
| 18 | District of Columbia Range: $85 – $305 | $185 |
| 19 | Maryland Range: $88 – $298 | $183 |
| 20 | Michigan Range: $80 – $318 | $183 |
| 21 | Utah Range: $80 – $317 | $182 |
| 22 | New Jersey Range: $60 – $348 | $182 |
| 23 | Ohio Range: $85 – $287 | $181 |
| 24 | Mississippi Range: $126 – $250 | $181 |
| 25 | California Range: $80 – $374 | $181 |
| 26 | Hawaii Range: $80 – $313 | $179 |
| 27 | Arkansas Range: $85 – $282 | $178 |
| 28 | Virginia Range: $88 – $293 | $177 |
| 29 | Tennessee Range: $85 – $259 | $170 |
| 30 | South Carolina Range: $80 – $287 | $170 |
| 31 | Missouri Range: $88 – $239 | $168 |
| 32 | Minnesota Range: $91 – $312 | $167 |
| 33 | Oklahoma Range: $85 – $246 | $166 |
| 34 | Kansas Range: $88 – $243 | $166 |
| 35 | Alabama Range: $80 – $257 | $160 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania Range: $55 – $334 | $159 |
| 37 | Arizona Range: $80 – $250 | $157 |
| 38 | Indiana Range: $85 – $298 | $157 |
| 39 | West Virginia Range: $88 – $281 | $155 |
| 40 | Delaware Range: $85 – $203 | $155 |
| 41 | Kentucky Range: $80 – $296 | $155 |
| 42 | Nevada Range: $85 – $267 | $154 |
| 43 | Alaska Range: $80 – $292 | $151 |
| 44 | Connecticut Range: $55 – $320 | $148 |
| 45 | Idaho Range: $80 – $275 | $148 |
| 46 | Oregon Range: $80 – $250 | $142 |
| 47 | Texas Range: $80 – $257 | $142 |
| 48 | Montana Range: $80 – $213 | $124 |
| 49 | North Dakota Range: $91 – $177 | $122 |
| 50 | South Dakota Range: $98 – $161 | $119 |
| 51 | Florida Range: $35 – $246 | $114 |