Emergency department visit cost in California

Prices at 171 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,433 — 147% above the US median ($579), roughly 20.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $237 $507 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $273 $158 ★ 3/5 238 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $284 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $296 $108 ★ 1/5 306 min —
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas, CA $310 $278 ★ 3/5 123 min —
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Sun Valley, CA $332 $154 — 227 min —
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $349 $246 ★ 3/5 134 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $349 $349 ★ 2/5 134 min —
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $349 $349 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $349 $275 ★ 1/5 158 min —
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $349 $198 ★ 3/5 204 min —
Chino Valley Medical Center Chino, CA $349 $300 ★ 4/5 174 min —
San Dimas Community Hospital San Dimas, CA $349 $341 ★ 2/5 147 min —
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $349 $293 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $349 $259 ★ 2/5 140 min —
Montclair Hospital Medical Center Montclair, CA $349 $332 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $350 $233 ★ 3/5 191 min —
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Martinez, CA $376 — ★ 4/5 171 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $404 — — 121 min —
Fresno Surgical Hospital Fresno, CA $477 $209 — — —
Children's Hospital of Orange County Orange, CA $490 $243 — — —
Children's Hospital at Mission Mission Viejo, CA $490 $243 — — —
Healthbridge Children's Hospital-Orange Orange, CA $490 $243 — — —
Pih Health Downey Hospital Downey, CA $517 $753 ★ 4/5 242 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $520 $847 ★ 1/5 160 min —

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 October 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)
$2,498
Cash / self-pay
$1,433
Insurer-negotiated
$632
Medicare pays
$69
$349$2,957
Median cash $1,433  ·  Medicare $69  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,433 — about 20.6× 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 $2,498 list price could save about $1,065 (43%).

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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.

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Emergency department visit cost in other states

All Emergency department visit prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →