Level 5 ER visit cost in Denver, CO — inpatient
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 6 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 5 of 5, high-complexity problem as an inpatient: from $548.60 to $17,124.42, with a median of $17,124.42. The lowest listed price is at Childrens Hospital Colorado — $16,575.82 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $2,748.10 at 12 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 99285, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 30, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childrens Hospital Colorado lowest Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT HIGH MDM | $548.60 | $844.00 | $126.60–$776.48 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT HIGH MDM | $844.00 | $844.00 | $239.16–$759.60 | — | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC PES EMER VISIT LEVEL V | $2,868.85 | $8,196.71 | $2,811.47 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC EMER VISIT LEVEL V | $2,868.85 | $8,196.71 | $2,811.47 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=ER VISIT LVL V | $6,693.05 | $10,297.00 | $1,544.55–$9,473.24 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 QPSYED=ER VISIT LVL V | $9,621.30 | $14,802.00 | $2,220.30–$13,617.84 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT LEVEL 5 | $17,124.42 | $17,124.42 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT LEVEL 5 | $17,124.42 | $17,124.42 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT LEVEL 5 | $17,124.42 | $17,124.42 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT LEVEL 5 | $17,124.42 | $17,124.42 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $548.60, median $17,124.42, highest $17,124.42 — a 31.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $17,124.42 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. 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 highest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a serious problem that needs complex evaluation and treatment, often with a hospital admission or transfer. 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.