Critical care (first hour) cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 13 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $808.53 to $4,149.00, with a median of $4,149.00. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $3,340.47 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $2,540.23 at 92 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 8 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 Mar 5, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX ECHG CRITICAL CARE VISIT, 1ST 30-74 MINUTES | $808.53 | $4,030.00 | $1,200.00–$2,619.50 | 80% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 ECHG CRITICAL CARE VISIT, 1ST 30-74 MINUTES | $808.53 | $4,030.00 | $1,200.00–$2,619.50 | 80% | — source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 CRITICAL CARE 1ST HOUR | $816.51 | $3,425.78 | $787.93–$1,161.71 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $3,472.50 | $6,945.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC CRITICAL CARE ED SERVICES | $4,115.14 | $6,142.00 | $1,658.34–$5,834.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC CRITICAL CARE ED SERVICES | $4,115.14 | $6,142.00 | $1,658.34–$5,834.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC CRITICAL CARE ED SERVICES | $4,115.14 | $6,142.00 | $1,658.34–$5,834.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC ER-CRITICAL CARE LEVEL VI | $4,149.00 | $8,298.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $808.53, median $4,149.00, highest $4,149.00 — a 5.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $4,149.00. 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 4 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 it is 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.