Price Checker / CPT 99284
How much does ER visit — serious (level 4) cost?
CPT 99284 · Based on 2026 Medicare rates and hospital-published pricing
The average hospital charge is roughly 7.8x the fair price. This is well above fair — push back or dispute it.
Fair price
$180–$350
What this should cost
With insurance
~$77,600
Typical out-of-pocket
Overcharged if over
$440
Push back above this
The average hospital charge of $2,115 is $1,845 over the fair price (about 7.8x the fair rate).
What hospitals charge for ER visit — serious (level 4)
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp Memorial Hospital SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,400 | $7,800 | 8696% |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hickman , TN | — | — | 3104% |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital GRUNDY CENTER, IA | $3,656 | — | 2992% |
| 23330 Emergency Center, LLC d/b/a/ Elite Hospital Kingwood Kingwood, TX | $3,115 | — | 2534% |
| Higgins General Hospital Bremen, GA | $1,740 | — | 2442% |
| 62-1113167 BMH Tipton , TN | $3,005 | $721 | 2441% |
| Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola (Sacred Heart Health System, Inc.) , FL | — | — | 2375% |
| Studer Family Children's Hospital Ascension Sacred Heart (Sacred Heart Health System, Inc.) , FL | — | — | 2375% |
| UM R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center Baltimore, MD | $2,659 | — | 2149% |
| Wyoming County Community Health System Warsaw, NY | $913 | — | 2014% |
| Granville Health System Oxford, NC | $2,000 | — | 1591% |
| Iroquois Memorial Hospital WATSEKA, IL | $1,560 | $1,092 | 1219% |
| Ascension Via Christi Hospital Pittsburg, Inc. , KS | — | — | 1111% |
| Mercy Hospital Pittsburg COON RAPIDS, KS | — | — | 1111% |
| Coon Memorial Hospital DALHART, TX | $901 | — | 1067% |
Were you billed for this procedure?
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About ER visit — serious (level 4)
CPT code 99284 refers to er visit — serious (level 4) (billing description: "Emergency dept visit mod mdm"). Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, it is reimbursed at $118 in a facility (hospital or surgery center) and $118 in a doctor's office.
The Medicare rate is the closest thing to an objective "what this work is actually worth." A fair cash price for the uninsured is generally 1.5–3x that rate. Hospital sticker (gross) charges are often far higher — but almost nobody actually pays them.
What to do if you were overcharged
- 1Send us your bill — we'll identify this code and compare it against the rates shown above.
- 2Get a dispute letter — citing the Medicare rate and your hospital's own published pricing data.
- 3We negotiate for you — 25% of savings, no savings = no fee.