Cost of a ER Visit (High) Visit
in Illinois
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Illinois's healthcare market, concentrated around Chicago's major academic medical centers, maintains 13,925 active emergency medicine providers across the state. For a ER Visit (High) visit, patients typically pay between $80 and $569, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $206. The state's expanded Medicaid program and competitive insurance marketplace help moderate costs compared to neighboring states, though patients can browse all providers in Illinois to find the most affordable options.
Average
$285
Median
$206
Lowest
$80
Highest
$569
Providers
13,925
51% above national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does er visit (high severity) compare to related procedures in Illinois?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ER Visit (Low Severity) Emergency department visit, low severity | 99283 | $57 | $90 | $252 | 15,690 |
| ER Visit (Moderate Severity) Emergency department visit, moderate severity | 99284 | $80 | $158 | $431 | 14,611 |
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 Illinois
These hospitals in Illinois are top-rated for patient satisfaction. Review data sourced from HCAHPS Patient Survey.
GALENA, IL
CARTHAGE, IL
GIBSON CITY, IL
MONMOUTH, IL
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 Illinois
Illinois emergency care costs run approximately 10% above national averages, driven by Chicago's concentration of major academic medical centers and the state's higher-than-average healthcare worker wages. The Prairie State's geography creates distinct cost regions, from Chicago's dense provider networks to rural counties where emergency access may require longer transport times.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Chicago's metropolitan area contains dozens of emergency departments within a 50-mile radius, while rural Illinois counties may have only one hospital serving multi-county regions. This geographic disparity affects both access and pricing, as rural emergency departments often charge higher rates to cover fixed costs across smaller patient populations.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Illinois features major health systems like Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health, and Rush University Medical Center that operate hospital-based emergency departments with higher overhead costs. Independent freestanding emergency departments, particularly in suburban markets, may offer lower facility fees but similar physician charges for high-acuity care.
Insurance Market Competition in Illinois
The competitive Illinois market with major players BCBS IL, UHC, and Aetna creates downward pressure on negotiated emergency care rates. This competition particularly benefits patients in the Chicago metropolitan area, where insurers compete aggressively for employer-sponsored group coverage that includes emergency benefits.
Physician Supply and Demand in Illinois
With 13,925 active emergency medicine providers, Illinois maintains adequate emergency physician supply in urban areas while facing shortages in rural regions. This supply-demand imbalance contributes to pricing variations, as rural emergency departments may charge premium rates to attract and retain emergency physicians willing to serve less populated 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 Illinois
What is the average cost of a ER Visit (High) visit in Illinois without insurance?
Does Illinois Medicaid cover ER Visit (High) visits?
How do I find an affordable ER Visit (High) near me in Illinois?
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 Illinois?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a ER Visit (High) in Illinois?
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 |