Cost of a ER Visit (Low) Visit
in California
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
California's emergency departments handle over 14 million visits annually, making the state one of the highest-volume emergency care markets in the nation. For ER Visit (Low) severity cases, patients typically pay between $80 and $153, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $88 based on negotiated insurance rates. With 19,723 active emergency care providers across California's diverse healthcare landscape, patients can browse all providers in California to find quality care that fits their budget.
Average
$107
Median
$88
Lowest
$80
Highest
$153
Providers
19,723
14% above national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does er visit (low severity) compare to related procedures in California?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ER Visit (Moderate Severity) Emergency department visit, moderate severity | 99284 | $80 | $88 | $258 | 19,792 |
| ER Visit (High Severity) Emergency department visit, high severity | 99285 | $80 | $88 | $374 | 18,145 |
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 99283 — Emergency department visit, low to moderate 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 99283 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 99283 (Emergency department visit, low to moderate severity), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 99283 covers: the provider's professional fee for er visit (low 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 California
These hospitals in California are top-rated for patient satisfaction. Review data sourced from HCAHPS Patient Survey.
SANTA CRUZ, CA
IRVINE, CA
FRESNO, CA
MAMMOTH LAKES, CA
TRUCKEE, CA
Hospital ratings are based on HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey data published by CMS.
Why ER Visit (Low) Visit Costs Vary Across California
Emergency care costs in California run approximately 18% above the national average, reflecting the state's high cost of living, expensive real estate markets, and elevated labor costs across the healthcare sector. California's massive geographic footprint creates dramatic cost variations between dense urban markets like Los Angeles and San Francisco versus rural Central Valley and Northern California regions.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
California's emergency care landscape varies dramatically between metropolitan areas with multiple competing facilities and rural regions where patients may travel significant distances to reach the nearest emergency department. Urban markets like the Bay Area and Los Angeles feature dense provider networks that can drive competitive pricing, while rural counties often rely on critical access hospitals with higher per-visit costs due to lower patient volumes.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
California's emergency care market includes major health systems like Kaiser Permanente's integrated model, academic medical centers such as UCSF and UCLA, and numerous community hospitals with varying overhead structures. Hospital-based emergency departments typically carry higher facility fees than freestanding emergency rooms or urgent care centers, reflecting differences in staffing requirements, equipment costs, and regulatory compliance expenses.
Insurance Market Competition in California
The state's insurance landscape features robust competition among Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare, along with numerous regional plans that negotiate different rates with emergency care providers. California's active insurance marketplace creates competitive pressure on negotiated rates, though geographic market concentration can limit options in certain regions. Large health systems often negotiate favorable rates due to their market leverage with insurers.
Physician Supply and Demand in California
With 19,723 active emergency care providers, California maintains a relatively robust supply of emergency medicine physicians, though distribution remains uneven across the state's diverse regions. This substantial provider network generally supports competitive pricing in major metropolitan areas, while rural regions may experience higher costs due to physician shortages and increased travel requirements for emergency coverage.
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 (Low) Costs in California
What is the average cost of a ER Visit (Low) visit in California without insurance?
Does California Medicaid cover ER Visit (Low) visits?
How do I find an affordable ER Visit (Low) near me in California?
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 (Low) visit in California?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a ER Visit (Low) in California?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 99283)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania Range: $47 – $693 | $271 |
| 2 | Wisconsin Range: $56 – $355 | $180 |
| 3 | Illinois Range: $57 – $252 | $133 |
| 4 | Maine Range: $86 – $184 | $131 |
| 5 | New Hampshire Range: $59 – $204 | $130 |
| 6 | Michigan Range: $54 – $252 | $126 |
| 7 | Iowa Range: $44 – $218 | $119 |
| 8 | Rhode Island Range: $40 – $204 | $111 |
| 9 | California Range: $80 – $153 | $107 |
| 10 | Vermont Range: $53 – $171 | $107 |
| 11 | Indiana Range: $57 – $171 | $105 |
| 12 | New York Range: $47 – $202 | $105 |
| 13 | Washington Range: $57 – $167 | $101 |
| 14 | Colorado Range: $54 – $159 | $99 |
| 15 | Wyoming Range: $54 – $155 | $97 |
| 16 | Idaho Range: $60 – $142 | $96 |
| 17 | Nebraska Range: $44 – $171 | $95 |
| 18 | Massachusetts Range: $40 – $206 | $95 |
| 19 | Utah Range: $53 – $139 | $93 |
| 20 | District of Columbia Range: $49 – $142 | $92 |
| 21 | Maryland Range: $43 – $162 | $91 |
| 22 | Connecticut Range: $53 – $153 | $90 |
| 23 | Georgia Range: $53 – $143 | $90 |
| 24 | Alaska Range: $69 – $118 | $89 |
| 25 | New Mexico Range: $54 – $139 | $88 |
| 26 | Kentucky Range: $40 – $139 | $88 |
| 27 | Hawaii Range: $54 – $139 | $87 |
| 28 | Texas Range: $54 – $118 | $86 |
| 29 | North Carolina Range: $51 – $136 | $85 |
| 30 | New Jersey Range: $44 – $142 | $84 |
| 31 | South Carolina Range: $51 – $128 | $83 |
| 32 | Arkansas Range: $51 – $115 | $81 |
| 33 | Nevada Range: $60 – $108 | $81 |
| 34 | Alabama Range: $49 – $131 | $80 |
| 35 | Virginia Range: $47 – $119 | $79 |
| 36 | Arizona Range: $53 – $107 | $77 |
| 37 | Ohio Range: $43 – $117 | $77 |
| 38 | Minnesota Range: $40 – $145 | $75 |
| 39 | Tennessee Range: $51 – $105 | $75 |
| 40 | Oklahoma Range: $51 – $104 | $75 |
| 41 | Delaware Range: $60 – $90 | $74 |
| 42 | Missouri Range: $52 – $99 | $74 |
| 43 | Mississippi Range: $51 – $104 | $73 |
| 44 | Montana Range: $40 – $91 | $70 |
| 45 | Kansas Range: $51 – $91 | $70 |
| 46 | Florida Range: $35 – $110 | $67 |
| 47 | West Virginia Range: $40 – $115 | $65 |
| 48 | Louisiana Range: $40 – $87 | $63 |
| 49 | Oregon Range: $40 – $108 | $63 |
| 50 | North Dakota Range: $40 – $91 | $57 |
| 51 | South Dakota Range: $40 – $88 | $56 |