Level 4 ER visit cost in California

In California, 208 hospitals publish a cash price for emergency room visit, level 4 of 5, moderate-complexity problem: from $265.65 to $13,839.84, with a median of $2,712.64. The lowest price is at Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage). The highest price is 52.1× the lowest.

• The median here, $2,712.64, is 160% above the US median of $1,041.86.
• That is 6.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($426.30).
• California ranks 49th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 55 of 208 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 99284. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 12, 2026. See them on a map