Cost of a ER Visit (Moderate) Visit
in North Carolina
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
North Carolina's emergency departments serve over 10.4 million residents across 100 counties, with rural areas often requiring longer travel times for moderate-severity care. ER Visit (Moderate) services typically cost between $80 and $231 based on negotiated insurance rates, with a median facility charge of $106 across the state's 4,265 active providers. With North Carolina's healthcare costs running approximately 2% below national averages, patients have access to competitively priced emergency care whether seeking treatment in metropolitan areas like Charlotte and Raleigh or smaller communities throughout the Piedmont and coastal regions.
Average
$139
Median
$106
Lowest
$80
Highest
$231
Providers
4,265
2% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does er visit (moderate severity) compare to related procedures in North Carolina?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ER Visit (Low Severity) Emergency department visit, low severity | 99283 | $51 | $69 | $136 | 4,165 |
| ER Visit (High Severity) Emergency department visit, high severity | 99285 | $80 | $154 | $330 | 4,183 |
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 99284 — Emergency department visit, 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 99284 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 99284 (Emergency department visit, moderate severity), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 99284 covers: the provider's professional fee for er visit (moderate 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 North Carolina
These hospitals in North Carolina are top-rated for patient satisfaction. Review data sourced from HCAHPS Patient Survey.
ASHEVILLE, NC
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
SILER CITY, NC
HENDERSONVILLE, NC
DURHAM, NC
Hospital ratings are based on HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey data published by CMS.
Why ER Visit (Moderate) Visit Costs Vary Across North Carolina
North Carolina's healthcare costs run approximately 2% below national averages, benefiting from the state's lower cost of living compared to coastal states, though rural areas face access challenges due to hospital closures. The state's diverse geography creates distinct cost patterns, with urban centers like Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham offering more competitive pricing due to provider density, while mountain and coastal regions may have higher costs due to limited emergency facilities.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
North Carolina's 4,265 emergency care providers are concentrated heavily in metropolitan areas like the Research Triangle, Charlotte metro, and Asheville, while rural counties in eastern North Carolina and the mountains often rely on critical access hospitals with higher per-visit costs. This geographic disparity means patients in rural areas may face both higher costs and longer transport times to reach appropriate emergency care facilities for moderate-severity conditions.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Major health systems like Atrium Health, Novant Health, and UNC Health dominate North Carolina's emergency care landscape, typically charging higher facility fees due to their academic affiliations and comprehensive services. Independent hospitals and critical access hospitals in smaller communities often have different cost structures, with some offering lower facility fees but potentially requiring transfers for complex cases.
Insurance Market Competition in North Carolina
The state's insurance market features strong competition between Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna, which has helped keep negotiated rates competitive compared to less competitive state markets. This insurer competition, combined with the presence of multiple large health systems, creates downward pressure on emergency care pricing, though rural areas with limited provider options may see less competitive rates.
Physician Supply and Demand in North Carolina
With 4,265 active emergency care providers serving over 10.4 million residents, North Carolina maintains adequate emergency physician supply in most urban areas, though rural counties face ongoing shortages that can affect both access and pricing. The state's medical schools and residency programs help maintain physician supply, but emergency medicine remains a high-demand specialty with compensation levels that influence overall care costs.
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 (Moderate) Costs in North Carolina
What is the average cost of a ER Visit (Moderate) visit in North Carolina without insurance?
Does North Carolina Medicaid cover ER Visit (Moderate) visits?
How do I find an affordable ER Visit (Moderate) near me in North Carolina?
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 (Moderate) visit in North Carolina?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a ER Visit (Moderate) in North Carolina?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 99284)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin Range: $73 – $647 | $311 |
| 2 | Illinois Range: $80 – $431 | $223 |
| 3 | Iowa Range: $80 – $371 | $205 |
| 4 | New Hampshire Range: $102 – $307 | $202 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania Range: $55 – $431 | $191 |
| 6 | New York Range: $67 – $374 | $183 |
| 7 | Rhode Island Range: $62 – $374 | $177 |
| 8 | Maine Range: $116 – $233 | $172 |
| 9 | Massachusetts Range: $62 – $368 | $170 |
| 10 | Nebraska Range: $83 – $291 | $165 |
| 11 | Washington Range: $80 – $259 | $161 |
| 12 | Michigan Range: $80 – $291 | $158 |
| 13 | New Mexico Range: $85 – $266 | $158 |
| 14 | Wyoming Range: $85 – $262 | $157 |
| 15 | Colorado Range: $80 – $267 | $157 |
| 16 | Vermont Range: $80 – $257 | $156 |
| 17 | Georgia Range: $84 – $246 | $151 |
| 18 | California Range: $80 – $258 | $142 |
| 19 | Indiana Range: $80 – $258 | $142 |
| 20 | Kentucky Range: $70 – $246 | $140 |
| 21 | North Carolina Range: $80 – $231 | $139 |
| 22 | District of Columbia Range: $80 – $217 | $138 |
| 23 | West Virginia Range: $62 – $174 | $137 |
| 24 | Utah Range: $80 – $228 | $135 |
| 25 | Maryland Range: $80 – $206 | $132 |
| 26 | New Jersey Range: $60 – $237 | $131 |
| 27 | Hawaii Range: $80 – $217 | $130 |
| 28 | Arkansas Range: $80 – $194 | $130 |
| 29 | Virginia Range: $81 – $202 | $129 |
| 30 | Tennessee Range: $85 – $187 | $128 |
| 31 | South Carolina Range: $80 – $206 | $128 |
| 32 | Ohio Range: $75 – $197 | $127 |
| 33 | Missouri Range: $85 – $167 | $124 |
| 34 | Alabama Range: $80 – $195 | $124 |
| 35 | Oklahoma Range: $85 – $169 | $123 |
| 36 | Kansas Range: $86 – $167 | $123 |
| 37 | Texas Range: $80 – $196 | $122 |
| 38 | Arizona Range: $80 – $187 | $122 |
| 39 | Mississippi Range: $86 – $165 | $121 |
| 40 | Idaho Range: $80 – $194 | $121 |
| 41 | Delaware Range: $80 – $157 | $120 |
| 42 | Minnesota Range: $62 – $233 | $119 |
| 43 | Nevada Range: $84 – $184 | $119 |
| 44 | Connecticut Range: $55 – $211 | $118 |
| 45 | Alaska Range: $80 – $194 | $118 |
| 46 | Louisiana Range: $62 – $150 | $104 |
| 47 | Oregon Range: $62 – $183 | $102 |
| 48 | Montana Range: $62 – $145 | $96 |
| 49 | Florida Range: $35 – $190 | $95 |
| 50 | North Dakota Range: $62 – $121 | $82 |
| 51 | South Dakota Range: $62 – $121 | $82 |