Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA

Washington, DC 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.

$302

5x 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.

$475

4.36x 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.

$807

4.15x 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.

$1,258

4.32x 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.

$1,749

4.21x Medicare rate

Cash Price Coverage

33 of 37 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.

Washington, DC ER Cash Price Map

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Showing 1-5 of 37 ER locations

Showing 1-10 of 37 ER locations

Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital Pediatric Emergency RoomVoluntary non-profit - PrivatePediatric ER

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$386

Above average

ER level 2

$507

Around average

ER level 3

$920

Above average

ER level 4

$1,459

Above average

ER level 5

$1,779

Around average

Overall rating: 5 stars
Dataset version: 4/1/2026

Adventist Healthcare Fort Washington Medical CtrVoluntary non-profit - Other

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$97

Below average

ER level 2

$194

Below average

ER level 3

$291

Below average

ER level 4

$486

Below average

ER level 5

$777

Below average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 12/31/2025

University Of Md Charles Regional Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$123

Below average

ER level 2

$123

Below average

ER level 3

$246

Below average

ER level 4

$492

Below average

ER level 5

$861

Below average

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

Frederick Health HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$140

Below average

ER level 2

$123

Below average

ER level 3

$246

Below average

ER level 4

$493

Below average

ER level 5

$462

Below average

Overall rating: 3 stars
Dataset version: 3/17/2025

Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Ctr, IncProprietary

ER service level cash price

ER level 1

$123

Below average

ER level 2

$123

Below average

ER level 3

$247

Below average

ER level 4

$494

Below average

ER level 5

$864

Below average

Overall rating: 2 stars
Dataset version: 1/15/2026

Emergency room cost data by facility
Facility Name	Overall Rating	ER service level cash price					Dataset Version
Facility Name	Overall Rating						Dataset Version
Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital Pediatric Emergency RoomVoluntary non-profit - PrivatePediatric ER	5 stars	$386 Above average	$507 Around average	$920 Above average	$1,459 Above average	$1,779 Around average	4/1/2026
Adventist Healthcare Fort Washington Medical CtrVoluntary non-profit - Other	2 stars	$97 Below average	$194 Below average	$291 Below average	$486 Below average	$777 Below average	12/31/2025
University Of Md Charles Regional Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	4 stars	$123 Below average	$123 Below average	$246 Below average	$492 Below average	$861 Below average	11/5/2025
Frederick Health HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$140 Below average	$123 Below average	$246 Below average	$493 Below average	$462 Below average	3/17/2025
Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Ctr, IncProprietary	2 stars	$123 Below average	$123 Below average	$247 Below average	$494 Below average	$864 Below average	1/15/2026
Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	2 stars	$103 Below average	$205 Below average	$308 Below average	$513 Below average	$820 Below average	12/31/2025
Holy Cross Germantown HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private	2 stars	$131 Below average	$131 Below average	$261 Below average	$523 Below average	$915 Below average	2026-03-31
Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	2 stars	$112 Below average	$224 Below average	$337 Below average	$561 Below average	$897 Below average	12/31/2025
Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	2 stars	$235 Below average	$142 Below average	$283 Below average	$566 Below average	$566 Below average	2026-04-01
Medstar Montgomery Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - Private	3 stars	$192 Below average	$164 Below average	$328 Below average	$655 Below average	$655 Below average	2026-04-01

Showing 1-10 of 37 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 Washington, DC?

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

District of Columbia

Medical-debt credit reporting: No broad ban. Only the voluntary bureau and federal baseline applies.
Wage garnishment: Earnings at or below 40 times the DC minimum wage are fully exempt, and a hardship motion is available.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 3 years for written contracts.

Maryland

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.

Virginia

Medical-debt credit reporting: State law limits furnishers from reporting medical-debt information to bureaus, effective April 17, 2024.
Wage garnishment: More protective than federal through a 40-times multiplier. The Virginia Medical Debt Protection Act (effective July 1, 2026) prohibits garnishment for patients who qualify for the hospital's charity-care policy.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 5 years for written contracts, 3 years for oral contracts.

West Virginia

Medical-debt credit reporting: No broad state ban. Only the voluntary bureau and federal baseline applies.
Wage garnishment: More protective than federal. The 50-times multiplier provides one of the highest income floors in the country.
Deadline to sue (statute of limitations): 10 years for written contracts, 5 years for oral contracts.

State medical debt rules

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