Level 1 ER visit cost in Durham, NC — inpatient
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, 1 hospital lists a cash price for emergency room visit, level 1 of 5, minor problem that may not need a doctor as an inpatient: from $54.00 to $54.00, with a median of $54.00. Across North Carolina, the median is $178.33 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 99281, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Regional Hospital lowest Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Emergency Department Visit May Not Req Phys/Qhp | $54.00 | $108.00 | $10.84–$29.36 | 50% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital lowest Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Emergency Department Visit May Not Req Phys/Qhp | $54.00 | $108.00 | $8.97–$55.68 | 50% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 ED Visit Level 1 | $88.56 | $328.00 | $52.78–$247.31 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 ED Visit Level 1 | $88.56 | $328.00 | $58.65–$328.00 | 73% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $54.00, median $54.00, highest $54.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $54.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This is the lowest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a minor problem that needs little care. Since 2023 this level may apply even when no physician or similar clinician needs to see the patient. The level is assigned after the visit: doctors pick it by the complexity of their medical decision making, and hospitals pick the facility level by the care and resources used, so a patient cannot choose it in advance.
What the price covers
The hospital price for this code is the facility fee for the ER visit. The emergency physician bills separately, and lab tests, imaging, medicines and procedures are added on top.