Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX MSA

Houston 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.

$464

8.22x 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.

$830

8.08x 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.

$1,369

7.67x 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.

$2,093

7.87x 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.

$2,857

7.4x Medicare rate

Cash Price Coverage

76 of 82 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.

Houston ER Cash Price Map

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Showing 1-5 of 82 ER locations

Showing 1-10 of 82 ER locations

HCA Houston Healthcare KingwoodProprietary

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$811

Above average

ER level 2

$1,445

Above average

ER level 3

$2,331

Above average

ER level 4

$3,801

Above average

ER level 5

$5,619

Above average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 2026-03-01

Harris Health Smith ClinicGovernment - Hospital District or Authority

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$48

Below average

ER level 2

$98

Below average

ER level 3

$170

Below average

ER level 4

$269

Below average

ER level 5

$391

Below average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 6/25/2025

OakBend Medical Center - Jackson Street Hospital CampusGovernment - Hospital District or Authority

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$73

Below average

ER level 2

$139

Below average

ER level 3

$299

Below average

ER level 4

$568

Below average

ER level 5

$918

Below average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 2026-04-03

Sweeny Community HospitalGovernment - Hospital District or Authority

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$181

Below average

ER level 2

$260

Below average

ER level 3

$464

Below average

ER level 4

$741

Below average

ER level 5

$1,157

Below average

Overall rating: Not available
Dataset version: 2026-04-02

Liberty Dayton Regional Medical CenterGovernment - Hospital District or Authority

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$185

Below average

ER level 2

$333

Below average

ER level 3

$582

Below average

ER level 4

$894

Below average

ER level 5

$1,287

Below average

Overall rating: Not available
Dataset version: 2026-05-07-import

Emergency room cost data by facility
Facility Name	Overall Rating	ER service level cash price					Dataset Version
Facility Name	Overall Rating						Dataset Version
HCA Houston Healthcare KingwoodProprietary	2 stars	$811 Above average	$1,445 Above average	$2,331 Above average	$3,801 Above average	$5,619 Above average	2026-03-01
Harris Health Smith ClinicGovernment - Hospital District or Authority	3 stars	$48 Below average	$98 Below average	$170 Below average	$269 Below average	$391 Below average	6/25/2025
OakBend Medical Center - Jackson Street Hospital CampusGovernment - Hospital District or Authority	2 stars	$73 Below average	$139 Below average	$299 Below average	$568 Below average	$918 Below average	2026-04-03
Sweeny Community HospitalGovernment - Hospital District or Authority	Not available	$181 Below average	$260 Below average	$464 Below average	$741 Below average	$1,157 Below average	2026-04-02
Liberty Dayton Regional Medical CenterGovernment - Hospital District or Authority	Not available	$185 Below average	$333 Below average	$582 Below average	$894 Below average	$1,287 Below average	2026-05-07-import
Bellville Medical CenterGovernment - Hospital District or Authority	Not available	$198 Below average	$346 Below average	$592 Below average	$969 Below average	$1,440 Below average	2025-06-01
Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital KingwoodProprietary	Not available	$306 Below average	$445 Below average	$526 Below average	$1,019 Below average	$1,935 Below average	2026-04-14
Riceland Medical CenterProprietary	Not available	$306 Below average	$456 Below average	$707 Below average	$1,054 Below average	$1,509 Below average	1/1/2026
St. Luke's Health - Brazosport Hospital - Lake Jackson, TxVoluntary non-profit - Private	4 stars	$277 Below average	$521 Below average	$846 Below average	$1,269 Below average	$1,628 Below average	2026-02-28
Children's Emergency Center At Memorial Hermann Memorial CityVoluntary non-profit - PrivatePediatric ER	3 stars	$224 Below average	$398 Below average	$792 Below average	$1,310 Below average	$1,695 Below average	2026-04-01

Showing 1-10 of 82 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 Houston?

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.

Texas medical-debt rules

Medical-debt credit reporting: Conditional. Providers may report only after specified prerequisites such as advance-estimate requirements. No broad ban.
Wage garnishment: Prohibited. The state constitution bars garnishment of current wages for personal service, with narrow exceptions.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 4 years for debt and contracts.

State medical debt rules

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