ER Visit Cost in Tri-Cities (Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol), TN

An emergency department (ER) visit is an encounter in a hospital's emergency department in which a clinician evaluates a patient and documents the level of medical decision-making involved. The facility fee, which is the charge from the hospital for the treatment space, equipment, nursing staff, and overhead, is reported under one of three evaluation and management billing codes: HCPCS 99283 (Level 3, Moderate), 99284 (Level 4, High/Urgent), and 99285 (Level 5, Critical). Higher levels reflect greater complexity and resource use. Prices on this page come from the machine-readable files that hospitals publish under CMS price transparency requirements.

Data last accessed by us: 2026-10-15 · Newest hospital file date among hospitals below: 3/23/2026

Data may be outdated

This hospital's pricing file has not been updated since 2026-03-23 (206 days ago). Prices may not reflect current charges. Contact the hospital directly for current pricing.

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If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room immediately.

Do not delay emergency care based on cost.

ER Visit Level 3 (Moderate) (HCPCS 99283)

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Hospital	Gross Charge	Cash Price	Low Insured	High Insured
Bristol Regional	$1,365	$204.75	$51	$1,365	Schedule →
Franklin Woods	$1,365	$204.75	$51	$1,365	Schedule →
Hawkins County Memorial	$1,365	$204.75	$50	$1,365	Schedule →
Holston Valley	$1,365	$204.75	$51	$1,365	Schedule →
Indian Path	$1,365	$204.75	$50	$1,365	Schedule →
Johnson City Medical Center	$1,365	$204.75	$50	$1,365	Schedule →
Sycamore Shoals	$1,365	$204.75	$50	$1,365	Schedule →

ER Visit Level 4 (High/Urgent) (HCPCS 99284)

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Hospital	Gross Charge	Cash Price	Low Insured	High Insured
Bristol Regional	$2,002	$300.30	$51	$2,002	Schedule →
Franklin Woods	$2,002	$300.30	$51	$2,002	Schedule →
Hawkins County Memorial	$2,002	$300.30	$50	$2,002	Schedule →
Holston Valley	$2,002	$300.30	$51	$2,002	Schedule →
Indian Path	$2,002	$300.30	$50	$2,002	Schedule →
Johnson City Medical Center	$2,002	$300.30	$50	$2,002	Schedule →
Sycamore Shoals	$2,002	$300.30	$50	$2,002	Schedule →

ER Visit Level 5 (Critical) (HCPCS 99285)

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Hospital	Gross Charge	Cash Price	Low Insured	High Insured
Bristol Regional	$3,041	$456.15	$51	$3,041	Schedule →
Franklin Woods	$3,041	$456.15	$51	$3,041	Schedule →
Hawkins County Memorial	$3,041	$456.15	$50	$3,041	Schedule →
Holston Valley	$3,041	$456.15	$51	$3,041	Schedule →
Indian Path	$3,041	$456.15	$50	$3,041	Schedule →
Johnson City Medical Center	$3,041	$456.15	$50	$3,041	Schedule →
Sycamore Shoals	$3,041	$456.15	$50	$3,041	Schedule →

What These Prices Mean

Understanding the price columns The gross charge is the hospital's list price, also called the chargemaster price. For Level 3 (99283), it is $1,365 at every hospital in this dataset. The cash price is the rate for patients paying without insurance, and it is $204.75 for 99283, which is 15% of gross. The insured range shows the lowest and highest negotiated rates across payers: $50 to $1,365 for 99283. Patients on high-deductible plans who have not yet met their deductible owe the negotiated rate, not the gross charge. Code variations The three codes differ by the level of complexity and resources involved in the visit. Level 4 (99284) has a gross charge of $2,002, which is $637 above Level 3, and a cash price of $300.30, or $95.55 more. Level 5 (99285) has a gross charge of $3,041, which is $1,039 above Level 4, and a cash price of $456.15, or $155.85 more than Level 4. Between Level 3 and Level 5, the gross difference is $1,676 and the cash difference is $251.40. All of these figures apply equally at all seven hospitals.

Why ER Visit Prices Vary

Hospital pricing structures In this dataset, the gross charge gap between hospitals is $0 for every code. Each of the seven hospitals lists $1,365 for 99283, $2,002 for 99284, and $3,041 for 99285. The cash price gap is also $0, because each hospital applies the same 15% ratio, producing $204.75, $300.30, and $456.15. The variation appears in negotiated insurance rates instead. For 99283, the lowest rates are $50 or $51 and the highest are $1,365, a 27x multiplier. For 99285, the multiplier is 61x. Lowest rates belong to TennCare plans, while the highest equal the gross charge. Facility type and alternatives The seven hospitals include academic and regional medical centers (such as Johnson City Medical Center and Holston Valley Medical Center) and smaller community hospitals (such as Hawkins County Memorial and Franklin Woods). Facility type does not change the listed prices here. Freestanding or outpatient facilities are not in this dataset and may charge differently. Cash prices across all codes range from $204.75 to $456.15.

Paying cash? Health insurance could lower your ER Visit cost.

Published cash prices on this page range from $204.75 to $456.15. The lowest insured rate in the price table is $50 (Hawkins County Memorial Hospital). Insured rates depend on the plan, and the lowest are often Medicaid, CHIP or Medicare Advantage plans, so they may not reflect what a commercial or marketplace plan pays. If you are uninsured, a marketplace health plan could reduce your out-of-pocket cost for this procedure.

Compare Health Insurance Plans → Get Free Plan Estimate →

Links go to Healthcare.gov, the official federal health insurance marketplace. We are not affiliated with Healthcare.gov or any insurance provider. This is not a recommendation for any specific plan.

Compare Insurer Rates for ER Visit in Tri-Cities (Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol)

How much does each insurance company pay for er visit at Tri-Cities (Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol) hospitals?

Insurer	Lowest Rate	At Hospital	Highest Rate	Hospitals
UnitedHealthcare	$50	Hawkins County Memorial Hospital	$2,982	7
Amerigroup	$60	Franklin Woods Community Hospital	$587.55	7
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee	$86	Bristol Regional Medical Center	$1,305	7
Aetna	$247.67	Hawkins County Memorial Hospital	$1,298.51	7
Humana	$247.67	Hawkins County Memorial Hospital	$564.95	7
Sentara Health Plans	$247.67	Hawkins County Memorial Hospital	$784.88	7
First Health/Coventry	$247.85	Franklin Woods Community Hospital	$2,736.90	7
Molina Healthcare	$257.57	Indian Path Community Hospital	$593.20	7

Rates shown are the lowest and highest negotiated rates each insurer has published across Tri-Cities (Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol) hospitals for this procedure. Your actual cost depends on your plan's deductible, copay, and coinsurance.

What Insurers Actually Pay

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Published negotiated rates for ER Visit Level 3 (Moderate) (HCPCS 99283) at Bristol Regional, outpatient facility fee:

ER Visit Level 3 (Moderate) (99283), Bristol Regional Payer Rates

Insurance Payer	Plan Type	Negotiated Rate
UNITED HEALTHCARE	TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE	$51
BLUE CROSS	TENNCARE BLUE CARE	$86
BLUE CROSS	TENNCARE BLUE SELECT	$86
BEACON HEALTH	BEACON HEALTH VALUE OPTIONS BH	$187
AETNA	AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE	$258.96
ALLCARE MEDICARE	ALLCARE MEDICARE	$258.96
HUMANA	HUMANA MEDICARE	$258.96
MANAGED MEDICAIRE	MANAGED MEDICAIRE	$258.96
SENTARA HEALTH	SENTARA MEDICARE	$258.96
UNITED HEALTHCARE	UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE	$258.96
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA	UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA	$258.96
AETNA	AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE	$266.73
BLUE CROSS	ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA	$266.73
AMERIGROUP	AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT	$269.32
BLUE CROSS	BLUE CROSS MEDICARE	$269.32
CIGNA HEALTHCARE	CIGNA MEDICARE	$271.91
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN	DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE	$271.91
MOLINA HEALTHCARE	MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE	$271.91
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE PACE	MOUNTAIN EMPIRE PACE	$271.91
NHC ADVANTAGE	NHC ADVANTAGE	$271.91
WELLCARE	WELLCARE MEDICARE	$274.50
SENTARA HEALTH	SENTARA HEALTH	$352.31
BLUE CROSS	BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE	$371
AMBETTER	AMBETTER	$564.53
AETNA	AETNA	$582.86
SEVEN CORNERS, INC.	SEVEN CORNERS, INC.	$621.51
CIGNA HEALTHCARE	CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN	$624
BLUE CROSS	ANTHEM EXCHANGE	$645.73
MEDCOST	MEDCOST VHN	$649.60
BLUE CROSS	ANTHEM HMO	$686.09
BLUE CROSS	ANTHEM PPO, TRADITIONAL INDEMNITY	$807.18
BLUE CROSS	BLUE CROSS E NETWORK	$816
CIGNA HEALTHCARE	CIGNA HMO	$826
CIGNA HEALTHCARE	CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS	$826
CIGNA HEALTHCARE	CIGNA PPO	$826
BLUE CROSS	BLUE CROSS P NETWORK	$835
BLUE CROSS	BLUE CROSS S NETWORK	$835
UNITED HEALTHCARE	UHC HERITAGE SELECT	$892
UNITED HEALTHCARE	UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY	$933
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY	FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY	$1,051.05
UNITED HEALTHCARE	UNITED HEALTHCARE	$1,365
WELLCARE	WELLCARE MEDICAID	$1,365

Key finding: For Level 3 visits, UnitedHealthcare's TennCare plan pays $50 at several hospitals, while its commercial UnitedHealthcare plan is listed at $1,365 at Johnson City Medical Center.

What to Do With These ER Visit Prices

Quote the code, then check the level. After the visit, look for 99283, 99284 or 99285 on the itemized bill. The level is set after the fact, based on the care given, so nobody can pick it in advance. Ask the billing office to confirm which level was charged and to send an itemized statement.

Line your bill up with these figures. At every hospital here, the cash price is $204.75 for 99283 and $456.15 for 99285, while the gross charge for 99285 is $3,041. Insured rates at the same hospitals start around $50. If your charge for a level is far from these numbers, ask the hospital to explain the difference. You can also ask for the cash price for the same code and compare it with what your insurer was billed.

Expect more than the facility line. The hospital's facility fee covers the ER room and staff. Check whether these appear as their own lines:

Lab tests and imaging
Medication and supplies
Observation or other add-ons

The ER physician often bills separately from the hospital, sometimes through a different company, so a second bill is common. Ask whether professional fees are billed apart and who to contact about each one.

No gaps to worry about here. All 21 price rows on this page show a cash price and a gross charge. If you see a $0 or blank on another page, treat it as missing data, not a free service.

Financial assistance and discounts. Nonprofit hospitals are required to publish a financial assistance policy, and the billing office can send it with an application. Some hospitals also offer prompt-pay or self-pay discounts; these vary by hospital and are not included in this data. Assistance applications and discount requests can be made after the visit.

General information about using published prices, not medical, legal or financial advice. Confirm your own cost with the hospital and your insurer. Our methodology · Medical Disclaimer

What Patients Ask About ER Visit Costs

How much does a er visit cost without insurance in Tri-Cities (Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol)?

Without insurance, the cash price at all seven hospitals (Bristol Regional, Franklin Woods, Hawkins County Memorial, Holston Valley, Indian Path, Johnson City Medical Center, and Sycamore Shoals) is $204.75 for Level 3 (99283), $300.30 for Level 4 (99284), and $456.15 for Level 5 (99285). The overall range is $204.75 to $456.15. Level 4 costs $95.55 more than Level 3, and Level 5 costs $155.85 more than Level 4. No cash prices in this dataset are $0 or missing. These amounts are facility fees only. Physician and professional fees are billed separately.

Why is the gross charge so much higher than the cash price?

The gross charge, or chargemaster price, is a hospital's full list price before any discounts or negotiated rates. Almost no one pays it. In this dataset, every hospital's cash price is 15% of gross: $204.75 of $1,365 for 99283, $300.30 of $2,002 for 99284, and $456.15 of $3,041 for 99285. That is an 85% reduction from the list price at each hospital. Because the discount percentage is identical everywhere, differences in cash price come only from the code level, not from the hospital. Insurers negotiate their own rates, which range from $50 up to the full gross charge.

Does insurance cover a er visit?

Coverage depends on the plan and on whether the visit meets the plan's medical necessity criteria. Negotiated rates vary widely: for 99283, 283 payer rates range from $50 to $1,365, and for 99285 the highest rates reach $3,041. Prior authorization requirements generally apply to non-emergency services; plan documents describe how each insurer handles emergency care. If you have a high-deductible plan and have not met your deductible, you owe the negotiated rate for your plan, not the gross charge, until the deductible is met. Your insurer can confirm your specific rate and cost-sharing.

Are there additional fees beyond the er visit facility charge?

Yes. The prices shown are facility fees, which cover the hospital's room, equipment, and staff. Physicians who treat patients in the emergency department typically bill separately for their professional services, so a separate bill from the emergency physician can arrive in addition to the hospital's charge. Other services during a visit, such as imaging, laboratory tests, procedures, or medications, are also billed separately and are not included in the 99283, 99284, or 99285 facility fee. Radiologists who read imaging studies bill separately as well. These additional charges are not in the source data, so no dollar amounts are listed.

What is the cash price for an ER visit at Johnson City Medical Center?

Johnson City Medical Center publishes cash prices of $204.75 for 99283, $300.30 for 99284 and $456.15 for 99285. These are facility charges only, so they do not include separate physician or other professional billing. The page shows cash at 15% of the gross charge for every code at this hospital.

What are the lowest and highest published ER visit cash prices in Tri-Cities, TN?

Across the Tri-Cities hospitals on this page, cash prices run from $204.75 for 99283 to $456.15 for 99285, both listed at Bristol Regional Medical Center. All 21 price rows have a published cash price, so none are missing. These are facility charges only, not total bills.

Does Kingsport's Holston Valley Medical Center post self-pay ER prices?

Yes. Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport lists self-pay prices of $204.75 for 99283, $300.30 for 99284 and $456.15 for 99285. Each is 15% of the gross charge. These figures cover the facility charge only, and physician fees are not included in them.

What do TennCare plans pay for an ER visit at Bristol Regional Medical Center?

For 99283 at Bristol Regional Medical Center, the page lists $51 for TennCare United Healthcare and $86 for both TennCare Blue Care and TennCare Blue Select. These are facility rates only. Rates for 99284 and 99285 by individual payer are not broken out here.

How much do insured ER visit rates vary in the Tri-Cities area?

Insured rates in the Tri-Cities vary widely. For 99283 at Bristol Regional Medical Center, 42 published rates run from $51 to $1,365, and the highest is about 27x the lowest. Across all codes, the lowest insured rate is $50 at Hawkins County Memorial Hospital. All figures are facility charges only.

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Data Sources

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Heads up: source files are large

Hospital CMS transparency files typically range from tens of megabytes to several hundred megabytes. Clicking a link below will open the file in a new tab and may trigger a large download, which can consume mobile data or slow down older devices. These files are intended for data processing, not casual viewing.

Bristol Regional Medical Center

File updated: 2026-03-23 · Accessed by us: 2026-10-15

Attested by: Shana Tate

We are not affiliated with Bristol Regional Medical Center. Published prices may not reflect your actual cost. Disclaimer

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