What is the average cost of emergency room visit?

Answer 1

I was in the emergency room last week in the Seattle Area, for severe stabbing pains in my stomach and my body was shaking and wouldn't stop in the middle of the night (my son drove me -vs- 911 as we live about 2miles from the hospital).. here was the cost break down for 6hrs ... $2000 for the ER visit $3500 for the CAT Scan blood tests etc. the total cost from the hospital was $6500 (or over $1000 an hour) from the hospital bill

I don't know if I'll receive other bills from the specific doctors etc.. and to be fair I'm on medicare + a private supplemental insurance so they may reduce the prices above.

if you don't have insurance and if at all possible my advice would be to visit an Immediate care clinc (-vs- emergency room) where a doctor will see you as a walk-in usually if your having pain or something that is urgent but not life threating they will move you to the front of the line and it's much less expensive.. my son was having severe ear pain.. no insurance .. the receptionist say "probably around $350" he was like "I don't care, I'm sick" when into see the doctor had an ear infection mentioned the "no insurance" they dropped the bill to $50 visit gave some free samples of medication.

lastly I would check with your State Govt to see if they offer some type of "Basic health plan" avail at affordable rates for example in WA State if you earn $10k a year, I believe you pay around $50 a month $25k about $100 you can pick one of many private insurance companies (either HMO or prefered provider) the coverage is the same regardless of what you pay... obviously many conditions (proof of income, IRS tax returns citizenship, residence etc) but the basic idea is to get people to pay a reasonable amount per month (say 10% of your income) -vs- no insurance and the state has to pickup the bill for emergency room care for public hospitals.

Answer 2

where I live In Pa its $ 90.00 dollars As an Emergency Physician, I would tell you that one would need to know a lot more about the visit. If you mean a sore throat of a routine nature, roughly $120 for the hospital and the physicians bill would be about $90. Sound like a lot ? Bear in mind that nation wide, emergency physicians the their hospitals collect roughly 35% of billings. Care is provided to all without regard to ability to pay (despite what anyone tells you I guarantee you will find no one in this country who was turned away from an Emergency Dept due to lack of ability to pay) So your bill is for your care and that of the other 2 patients who had no funds. Kind of makes you think again about that right of all to have food, shelter and medical care when you see it that way. I mean, Burger King and Holiday Inn don't provide the food and shelter without abiltiy to pay, do they ?