How much does an emergency room visit cost in San Antonio?
Emergency department visit of moderate to high severity — the levels most ER visits are billed at. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 5 San Antonio-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.
$1,197
lowest median negotiated rate
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System
$2,444
highest (adult hospitals)
Methodist Hospital Atascosa
2.0×
price spread
same procedure, same metro
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 5 hospitals · file dates 2025-10-14 → 2026-05-01 · retrieved 2026-08-08
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At University Hospital, the self-pay price is $976 — less than the $1,445 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.