Critical care (first hour) cost in Lancaster, PA — inpatient
In Lancaster, PA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes as an inpatient: from $1,587.78 to $4,198.40, with a median of $2,304.00. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center — $716.22 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,845.67 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 99291, 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 Lancaster, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center lowest Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 99291 CRITICAL CARE FIRST HOUR Tech | $1,587.78 | $5,477.00 | $688.97–$4,381.60 | 71% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC CRITICAL CARE FIRST HOUR | $2,304.00 | $3,840.00 | $1,424.64–$3,264.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata, PA · (717) 733-0311 Critical Care, First 30-74 Minutes | $4,198.40 | $5,248.00 | $3,349.27–$4,198.40 | 20% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,587.78, median $2,304.00, highest $4,198.40 — a 2.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $2,304.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 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.