How much does Emergency room visit cost in Los Angeles?

Median insurer-negotiated rates range from $623 at Children's Hospital Los Angeles to $9,061 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 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 · Los Angeles · codes 99283, 99284, 99285

How much does an emergency room visit cost in Los Angeles?

Emergency department visit of moderate to high severity — the levels most ER visits are billed at. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 26 Los Angeles-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.

$623

lowest median negotiated rate

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

$9,061

highest (adult hospitals)

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

14.5×

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 26 hospitals · file dates 2025-11-26 → 2026-07-30 · retrieved 2026-08-03 → 2026-08-08

Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Adventist Health Glendale, the self-pay price is $249 — less than the $2,149 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.

← Emergency room visit: overview