Level 1 ER visit cost in Providence, RI — inpatient
In Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 1 of 5, minor problem that may not need a doctor as an inpatient: from $138.00 to $630.00, with a median of $570.96. The lowest listed price is at Rhode Island Hospital — $432.96 less than the median here. Across Rhode Island, the median is $314.40 at 5 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island Hospital lowest Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC PR EMERGENCY DEPT VISIT LIMITED/MINOR | $138.00 | $138.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Brown University Health Morton Hospital Taunton, MA · (508) 828-7000 HC ED LEVEL I | $471.03 | $471.03 | — | — | — source file |
| Saint Anne's Hospital Fall River, MA · (508) 674-5600 HC ED LEVEL I | $570.96 | $570.96 | — | — | — source file |
| Newport Hospital Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC ED LEVEL I | $630.00 | $630.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC ED LEVEL I | $630.00 | $630.00 | — | — | — source file |
| The Miriam Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 793-2500 HC ED LEVEL I | $630.00 | $630.00 | — | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $138.00, median $570.96, highest $630.00 — a 4.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $471.03 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.