Emergency department visit (level 3) cost in Houston, TX

Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,403 — 134% above the US median ($598), roughly 20.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital Houston, TX $612 $1,324 14.4%
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Houston, TX $824 ★ 4/5 252 min 14.6%
Memorial Hermann Hospital System Houston, TX $824 ★ 3/5 229 min 14.8%
St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage Houston, TX $962 $742 ★ 4/5 214 min 15.0%
HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest Houston, TX $1,403 $1,191 ★ 2/5 140 min 15.6%
HCA Houston Healthcare West Houston, TX $1,403 $1,191 ★ 1/5 112 min 15.6%
Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston Houston, TX $1,403 $1,191
Texas Orthopedic Hospital Houston, TX $1,585 $1,191 106 min 14.1%
St Joseph Medical Center Houston, TX $1,653 $350 ★ 3/5 189 min 15.2%
HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center Houston, TX $2,772 $1,500 ★ 4/5 80 min 14.9%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$1,701
Cash / self-pay
$1,403
Insurer-negotiated
$1,191
Medicare pays
$69
$802$1,765
Median cash $1,403  ·  Medicare $69  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,403 — about 20.2× the Medicare rate ($69). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($139).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,701 list price could save about $298 (18%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

All Emergency department visit (level 3) prices in Texas → · All Emergency department visit (level 3) prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston