Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN MSA

Chicago 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.

$264

5.34x 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.

$462

5.16x 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.

$867

5.33x 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.

$1,561

6.32x 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.

$2,529

7.21x Medicare rate

Cash Price Coverage

52 of 83 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.

Chicago ER Cash Price Map

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Showing 1-5 of 83 ER locations

Showing 1-10 of 83 ER locations

Saint Joseph Hospital - ElginVoluntary non-profit - Church

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$89

Below average

ER level 2

$163

Below average

ER level 3

$291

Below average

ER level 4

$444

Below average

ER level 5

$635

Below average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 2026-03-17

Saint Anthony HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$75

Below average

ER level 2

$146

Below average

ER level 3

$243

Below average

ER level 4

$345

Below average

ER level 5

$511

Below average

Overall rating: 1 star
Dataset version: 4/9/2026

Morris Hospital & Healthcare CentersVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$140

Below average

ER level 2

$265

Below average

ER level 3

$246

Below average

ER level 4

$442

Below average

ER level 5

$637

Below average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 2026-02-03

Mercy Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$89

Below average

ER level 2

$163

Below average

ER level 3

$291

Below average

ER level 4

$444

Below average

ER level 5

$635

Below average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 2026-03-17

Resurrection Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Church

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$89

Below average

ER level 2

$163

Below average

ER level 3

$291

Below average

ER level 4

$444

Below average

ER level 5

$635

Below average

Overall rating: 4 stars
Dataset version: 2026-03-17

Emergency room cost data by facility
Facility Name	Overall Rating	ER service level cash price					Dataset Version
Facility Name	Overall Rating						Dataset Version
Saint Joseph Hospital - ElginVoluntary non-profit - Church	2 stars	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Saint Anthony HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private	1 star	$75 Below average	$146 Below average	$243 Below average	$345 Below average	$511 Below average	4/9/2026
Morris Hospital & Healthcare CentersVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$140 Below average	$265 Below average	$246 Below average	$442 Below average	$637 Below average	2026-02-03
Mercy Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Resurrection Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Church	4 stars	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Saint Francis HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Church	2 stars	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Saint Joseph Medical Center - JolietVoluntary non-profit - Church	1 star	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Saint Mary Of Nazareth HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Church	3 stars	$89 Below average	$163 Below average	$291 Below average	$444 Below average	$635 Below average	2026-03-17
Franciscan Health Olympia FieldsVoluntary non-profit - Church	2 stars	$88 Below average	$175 Below average	$409 Below average	$584 Below average	$876 Below average	1/1/2026
Advocate Sherman HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private	5 stars	$129 Below average	$205 Below average	$393 Below average	$695 Below average	$1,400 Below average	2025-11-04

Showing 1-10 of 83 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 Chicago?

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.

State medical-debt rules in this metro

Illinois

Medical-debt credit reporting: State law limits credit bureaus from reporting medical-debt information, effective January 1, 2025.
Wage garnishment: More protective than federal. Generally 15% of gross wages, using gross rather than disposable earnings for the cap.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 5 years if treated as an open account, 10 years if treated as a written contract.

Indiana

Medical-debt credit reporting: No broad state ban. Only the voluntary bureau and federal baseline applies.
Wage garnishment: Federal baseline (25% of disposable earnings), reducible to 10% on a good-cause showing.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 6 years for accounts and contracts. Verify the classification.

State medical debt rules

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