How much does Emergency room visit cost in Denver?

Median insurer-negotiated rates range from $674 at AdventHealth Castle Rock to $5,268 at HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge, based on the hospitals' own federally mandated price files.

Is it cheaper to pay cash than use insurance?

Sometimes. Several hospitals publish discounted cash prices below the rates insurers negotiate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the self-pay price.

Why do prices differ so much between hospitals?

Each hospital negotiates rates separately with each insurer, and hospitals in the same health system usually share one contract. The same procedure with the same insurer can cost several times more across town.

Costs · Visit · Emergency room visit · Denver · codes 99283, 99284, 99285

How much does an emergency room visit cost in Denver?

Emergency department visit of moderate to high severity — the levels most ER visits are billed at. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 22 Denver-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.

$674

lowest median negotiated rate

AdventHealth Castle Rock

$5,268

highest (adult hospitals)

HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge

7.8×

price spread

same procedure, same metro

Rates shown

Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt

cash (self-pay) price

Hospital	Gross charge	Cash price	Negotiated	Range	# rates	vs median

* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.

SOURCE: standard-charges files from 22 hospitals · file dates 2025-11-01 → 2026-04-30 · retrieved 2026-08-15

Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Children's Hospital Colorado, the self-pay price is $1,251 — less than the $2,697 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.

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