Critical care (first hour) cost in Buffalo, NY
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 5 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $644.00 to $12,198.62, with a median of $644.00. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and 2 other hospitals. Across New York, the median is $1,418.00 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 99291, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Aug 25, 2026 and Aug 25, 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min | $644.00 | $644.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital lowest Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min | $644.00 | $644.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min | $644.00 | $644.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min | $644.00 | $644.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min | $644.00 | $644.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Niagara Falls, NY · (716) 278-4000 CRITICAL CARE; FIRST 30-74 MINUTES | $1,536.79 | $2,195.42 | $189.83–$2,136.47 | 30% | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Critical Care, E/M 30-74 Minutes | $3,100.00 | $3,100.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Critical Care, E/M 30-74 Minutes | $3,100.00 | $3,100.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Critical Care, E/M 30-74 Minutes | $3,100.00 | $3,100.00 | $84.68–$3,100.00 | — | — source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 CRITICAL CARE FIRST HOUR | $12,198.62 | — | $271.00–$5,089.00 | — | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $644.00, median $644.00, highest $12,198.62 — a 18.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $644.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 5 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 code bills care for a life-threatening illness or injury for the first 30 to 74 minutes. It appears on emergency department bills after serious cases and in intensive care.
What the price covers
The price is the hospital's charge. Additional half hours use 99292, and the doctor bills separately.