Cost of a ER Visit (Low) Visit
in Texas
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Texas leads the nation in uninsured residents, making transparent healthcare pricing especially critical for the state's 30 million residents. For an ER Visit (Low) in Texas, patients typically pay between $54 and $118, with a median negotiated rate of $86 across the state's extensive network of emergency departments. Texas maintains over 15,000 active ER providers serving communities from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle, offering patients multiple options for emergency care in both urban centers and rural counties.
Average
$86
Median
$86
Lowest
$54
Highest
$118
Providers
15,367
8% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does er visit (low severity) compare to related procedures in Texas?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ER Visit (Moderate Severity) Emergency department visit, moderate severity | 99284 | $80 | $90 | $196 | 14,947 |
| ER Visit (High Severity) Emergency department visit, high severity | 99285 | $80 | $90 | $257 | 14,322 |
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 Texas
These hospitals in Texas are top-rated for patient satisfaction. Review data sourced from HCAHPS Patient Survey.
BRYAN, TX
AMARILLO, TX
SAN ANTONIO, TX
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 Texas
Texas emergency care costs run approximately 4% below the national average, reflecting the state's lower overall cost of living and competitive healthcare market. The state's massive geography creates significant cost variations, with rural counties often struggling to maintain emergency services while urban areas benefit from provider competition and economies of scale.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Texas's 254 counties create stark disparities in emergency care access, with rural West Texas and East Texas counties often served by single critical access hospitals. Urban areas like Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin benefit from multiple competing emergency departments, which helps moderate pricing through market competition. Rural facilities often charge higher rates per visit due to lower patient volumes and higher per-capita operational costs.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Hospital-based emergency departments in Texas typically carry higher overhead costs due to trauma center requirements and 24/7 specialist availability, reflected in higher facility fees. Freestanding emergency rooms have proliferated throughout Texas suburbs, offering lower overhead costs but sometimes higher physician fees due to convenience pricing. Major health systems like HCA Healthcare, Tenet, and Baylor Scott & White dominate different regions, each with distinct pricing strategies.
Insurance Market Competition in Texas
UHC, BCBS TX, Aetna, and Cigna maintain strong market presence across Texas, creating competitive negotiated rates in major metropolitan areas. Rural counties often have limited insurer participation, reducing competition and potentially increasing negotiated rates for emergency services. The absence of Medicaid expansion concentrates uncompensated care costs among participating hospitals, which can influence pricing for all patients.
Physician Supply and Demand in Texas
With over 15,000 active emergency medicine providers, Texas maintains adequate physician supply in urban areas but faces shortages in rural counties. This abundant urban supply helps moderate pricing in competitive markets like Houston and Dallas, while rural shortages can drive up costs due to limited alternatives. Emergency medicine residency programs at UT Southwestern, Baylor, and other Texas medical schools help maintain steady physician supply for the state's growing population.
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 Texas
What is the average cost of a ER Visit (Low) visit in Texas without insurance?
Does Texas Medicaid cover ER Visit (Low) visits?
How do I find an affordable ER Visit (Low) near me in Texas?
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 Texas?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a ER Visit (Low) in Texas?
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 |