Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA

Baltimore ER Visit Cost

This page is for uninsured patients or those with high deductibles who want to compare ER prices before they go. It's also useful after a visit for comparing charges and negotiating with the hospital. The ER level fee is typically one of the highest line items on a facility bill.

ER Level 1 Average Cash Price

ER level 1: Usually a very limited emergency department service. The services are provided by ancillary staff rather than the same physician or qualified health professional structure used for higher ED visit levels.

$152

1.79x Medicare rate

ER Level 2 Average Cash Price

ER level 2: Straightforward medical decision making: a minimal problem, no tests or records analyzed, and negligible risk from the management options considered.

$163

1.05x Medicare rate

ER Level 3 Average Cash Price

ER level 3: Low medical decision making: low-complexity problems such as multiple minor issues, a stable chronic problem, or a straightforward acute illness or injury, with limited data review and below-average management risk.

$300

1.09x Medicare rate

ER Level 4 Average Cash Price

ER level 4: Moderate medical decision making: a worsening chronic problem, multiple stable chronic problems, an undiagnosed higher-risk new problem, unexpected acute symptoms, or a complex injury, with moderate data workup and average management risk.

$627

1.49x Medicare rate

ER Level 5 Average Cash Price

ER level 5: High medical decision making: a severe chronic problem or an acute or chronic problem or injury that may threaten life or bodily function, with extensive data review and above-average management risk such as hospitalization or urgent high-risk treatment decisions.

$900

1.5x Medicare rate

Cash Price Coverage

13 of 19 ER locations

Last UpdatedJun 10, 2026

Big ER Bill? What To Do Now

ER Visit Cost without Insurance

ER visit costs can vary as they can include a facility fee, clinician bill, labs, imaging, medication, transport, and insurance-specific out-of-pocket responsibility. We compare ER cost based on one service every ER visit would have: Level of Emergency Department visit for the evaluation and management of a patient. These figures are source data points, not guarantees of the final bill.

Baltimore ER Cash Price Map

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Showing 1-5 of 19 ER locations

Showing 1-10 of 19 ER locations

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$161

Around average

ER level 2

$161

Around average

ER level 3

$321

Around average

ER level 4

$643

Around average

ER level 5

$1,125

Above average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 4/1/2026

University Of Md Baltimore Washington Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Other

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$106

Below average

ER level 2

$106

Below average

ER level 3

$213

Below average

ER level 4

$426

Below average

ER level 5

$745

Below average

Overall rating: 4 stars
Dataset version: 11/5/2025

Medstar Franklin Square Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$148

Around average

ER level 2

$124

Below average

ER level 3

$247

Below average

ER level 4

$494

Below average

ER level 5

$494

Below average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 2026-04-01

University Of Md St Joseph Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$125

Below average

ER level 2

$125

Below average

ER level 3

$249

Below average

ER level 4

$499

Below average

ER level 5

$873

Around average

Overall rating: 5 stars
Dataset version: 11/5/2025

Umd Upper Chesapeake Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Other

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$125

Below average

ER level 2

$125

Below average

ER level 3

$250

Below average

ER level 4

$500

Below average

ER level 5

$875

Around average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 11/5/2025

Emergency room cost data by facility
Facility Name	Overall Rating	ER service level cash price					Dataset Version
Facility Name	Overall Rating						Dataset Version
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$161 Around average	$161 Around average	$321 Around average	$643 Around average	$1,125 Above average	4/1/2026
University Of Md Baltimore Washington Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Other	4 stars	$106 Below average	$106 Below average	$213 Below average	$426 Below average	$745 Below average	11/5/2025
Medstar Franklin Square Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$148 Around average	$124 Below average	$247 Below average	$494 Below average	$494 Below average	2026-04-01
University Of Md St Joseph Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	5 stars	$125 Below average	$125 Below average	$249 Below average	$499 Below average	$873 Around average	11/5/2025
Umd Upper Chesapeake Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Other	2 stars	$125 Below average	$125 Below average	$250 Below average	$500 Below average	$875 Around average	11/5/2025
Medstar Union Memorial HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Other	5 stars	$137 Around average	$137 Below average	$273 Around average	$547 Below average	$547 Below average	2026-04-01
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$101 Below average	$124 Below average	$271 Around average	$564 Below average	$890 Around average	4/1/2026
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, IncVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$144 Around average	$144 Below average	$289 Around average	$578 Around average	$578 Below average	1/15/2026
Medstar Good Samaritan HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Other	3 stars	$155 Around average	$155 Around average	$311 Around average	$621 Around average	$621 Below average	2026-04-01
Mercy Medical Center IncVoluntary non-profit - Church	4 stars	$142 Around average	$132 Below average	$284 Around average	$641 Around average	$995 Above average	1/1/2026

Showing 1-10 of 19 ER locations

Data Sources

Cash-price values are from each facility's latest standard charges file published on its website. The average comparison note uses the city average for the same ER service level: around average means within a +/-10% band, above average means more than 10% above, and below average means more than 10% below. Hospital ownership labels and hospital overall ratings come from the CMS Hospital General Information dataset. CMS ratings are a broad summary, not a perfect measure of whether a hospital is best for a specific service.

Why ER level 4 is the default sort

ERcost defaults to ER level 4 because recent commercial ED spending research shows higher-intensity emergency department visit codes now represent a large share of billed visits. This default is based on the Health Affairs study Price Increases Versus Upcoding As Drivers Of Emergency Department Spending Increases, 2012-19 and its ED spending analysis. By 2019, level 4 was the single most common level among ER levels 3, 4, and 5, with level 5 close behind. Level 4 is a practical default for comparison, but actual coding depends on the care documented for a specific visit.

Hit with a big ER bill in Baltimore?

Start by checking the bill for errors, asking about discounts or financial assistance, and using your state's medical-debt rules before you respond to collections.

What you can do now

Request an itemized bill with billing codes, verify that every charge matches the services you actually received, and check whether your bill qualifies for No Surprises Act protections.
Ask the hospital about cash-pay or lump-sum discounts, and apply for financial assistance if you qualify.
Use FAIR Health or Bill Sherlock to check if your ER bill is reasonable.
Use Dollar For to apply for hospital financial assistance at no cost.
Hire a medical billing advocate to review your bill. Most work on contingency, charging only when they successfully reduce what you owe.
Keep every bill, denial, and collection notice. The dates matter if you need to challenge credit reporting, wage garnishment, or a lawsuit filed too late.

Maryland medical-debt rules

Medical-debt credit reporting: State law limits furnishing, reporting, and use of medical-debt information, effective October 1, 2025.
Wage garnishment: Federal baseline, but medical insurance premiums are deducted before calculating disposable earnings, slightly reducing the garnishable amount.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 3 years for hospital-service debt.

State medical debt rules

Nearby ER Cost Guides

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