Price Checker / CPT 99291
How much does Critical Care First Hour cost?
CPT 99291 · Based on 2026 Medicare rates and hospital-published pricing
The average hospital charge is around 16x the fair price — among the most extreme markups. Dispute this.
Fair price
$460–$930
What this should cost
With insurance
~$87,200
Typical out-of-pocket
Overcharged if over
$1,150
Push back above this
The average hospital charge of $11,246 is $10,546 over the fair price (about 16x the fair rate).
What hospitals charge for Critical Care First Hour
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center - Redding Redding, CA | $85,593 | — | 27050% |
| Palomar Health Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA | $58,786 | — | 18927% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA | $58,786 | — | 18927% |
| Intermountain Health Cassia Regional Hospital Burley, ID | — | — | 17555% |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL | $12,285 | — | 11750% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital SAN DIEGO, CA | $29,586 | $22,190 | 9476% |
| Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center Hartsville, SC | $14,545 | — | 4608% |
| University of New Mexico Hospital , NM | $1,221 | — | 3199% |
| UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center , NM | $1,221 | — | 3199% |
| Kohala Hospital KAPAAU, HI | $6,809 | — | 2545% |
| Driscoll Children's Hospital - Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX | $6,106 | — | 2425% |
| W.J. Mangold Memorial Hospital Lockney, TX | $11,815 | — | 2347% |
| WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital Waynesboro, PA | $4,254 | — | 2341% |
| Wilcox Medical Center Lihue, HI | $7,640 | — | 2002% |
| 23330 Emergency Center, LLC d/b/a/ Elite Hospital Kingwood Kingwood, TX | $6,036 | — | 1854% |
Were you billed for this procedure?
Send us your bill and we'll compare every line item against Medicare rates and your hospital's published prices. Free review, no obligation.
About Critical Care First Hour
CPT code 99291 refers to critical care first hour (billing description: "Critical care first hour"). Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, it is reimbursed at $199 in a facility (hospital or surgery center) and $309 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.