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Hospital Observation

The median cost of Hospital Observation in the United States is $199 cash pay, with prices typically ranging from $62 to $7,285 depending on the metro area. ProcedureRadar scans federally mandated hospital pricing files across 26 major US metros to show you exactly what 455 hospitals charge for this procedure. Baltimore is currently the cheapest metro at $62, while San Antonio is the most expensive at $7,285, a difference of 11650%.

Federal Data
45 CFR Part 180
Updated Monthly
Last scan 2026-11-05
455 Hospitals
across 26 metros
National Median (Cash Pay)
$199
$62$7,285
Typical Range
See Cheapest Near You

The national median cash price for Hospital Observation is $199 based on data from 455 hospitals across 26 US metros, sourced from federally mandated hospital price transparency files under 45 CFR Part 180. Prices range from $62 in Baltimore to $7,285 in San Antonio. Data is updated monthly.

By Kevin Monangai, Founder, ProcedureRadar.

Procedure overview pages exist because pricing for any given procedure is wildly different city to city. We rolled up published prices from 2,176 hospitals into one view per procedure, so you can see how your area compares to the rest of the country. Same federal source, same monthly refresh, same plain-English translation we use everywhere.

Nationwide Snapshot

The Price Radar

26 metros, ranked by median price. Dot position is price; center bullseye is cheapest. Hover a dot to see the metro.

Hospital Observation median price by metro
MetroStateMedian PriceHospitals Reporting
AtlantaGA$18323
BaltimoreMD$623
BostonMA$3093
CharlotteNC$27314
ChicagoIL$11833
Dallas-Fort WorthTX$21147
DenverCO$55213
DetroitMI$14814
HoustonTX$31913
Los AngelesCA$20186
MiamiFL$17144
MinneapolisMN$2477
New JerseyNJ$2645
New YorkNY$53922
OrlandoFL$1175
PhiladelphiaPA$17616
PhoenixAZ$25711
PortlandOR$13620
SacramentoCA$944
San AntonioTX$7,2852
San DiegoCA$681
San Francisco Bay AreaCA$9410
SeattleWA$10216
St. LouisMO$32314
TampaFL$1965
Washington DCDC$54924
Below median (15% lower)
Near median
Above median (15% higher)
All 26 Metros

Browse by City

Sorted by cheapest median price. Click any metro to see every hospital and its full pricing breakdown.

455 hospitals across 26 metros
Baltimore
MD
3 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$62
San Diego
CA
1 hospital . Updated 2026-11-05
$68
San Francisco Bay Area
CA
10 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$94
Sacramento
CA
4 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$94
Seattle
WA
16 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$102
Orlando
FL
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$117
Chicago
IL
33 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$118
Portland
OR
20 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$136
Detroit
MI
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$148
Miami
FL
44 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$171
Philadelphia
PA
16 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$176
Atlanta
GA
23 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$183
Tampa
FL
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$196
Los Angeles
CA
86 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$201
Dallas-Fort Worth
TX
47 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$211
Minneapolis
MN
7 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$247
Phoenix
AZ
11 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$257
New Jersey
NJ
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$264
Charlotte
NC
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$273
Boston
MA
3 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$309
Houston
TX
13 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$319
St. Louis
MO
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$323
New York
NY
22 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$539
Washington DC
DC
24 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$549
Denver
CO
13 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$552
San Antonio
TX
2 hospitals . Updated 2026-11-05
$7,285
National Leaderboard

10 Hospitals With the Lowest Hospital Observation Price

Cash pay prices, nationwide. Every hospital here publishes its pricing under 45 CFR Part 180.

Understanding This Price

Understanding Hospital Observation Pricing

The questions patients ask us most, answered clearly.

Understanding Hospital Observation Pricing

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Pricing for similar procedures, sourced from the same 455 hospitals.

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All pricing sourced from hospital Machine-Readable Files published under 45 CFR Part 180. Updated monthly. Prices shown are median cash pay rates across 455 hospitals in 26 US metros. See our full methodology.

Aggregate pricing sourced from hospital Machine-Readable Files across the United States.

Disclosure required by 45 CFR Part 180.

Last updated:

Prices shown are sourced from publicly available hospital pricing files required by federal law (45 CFR Part 180). Actual costs may vary based on your insurance plan, specific diagnosis, treatment complexity, and other factors. ProcedureRadar does not provide medical advice. This information is for comparison purposes only. Contact the hospital or your insurance provider for a personalized cost estimate.