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Hospital Observation

The median cost of Hospital Observation in the United States is $176 cash pay, with prices typically ranging from $62 to $461 depending on the metro area. ProcedureRadar scans federally mandated hospital pricing files across 25 major US metros to show you exactly what 342 hospitals charge for this procedure. Baltimore is currently the cheapest metro at $62, while New York is the most expensive at $461, a difference of 644%.

Federal Data
45 CFR Part 180
Updated Monthly
Last scan 2026-09-01
342 Hospitals
across 25 metros
National Median (Cash Pay)
$176
$62$461
Typical Range
See Cheapest Near You

The national median cash price for Hospital Observation is $176 based on data from 342 hospitals across 25 US metros, sourced from federally mandated hospital price transparency files under 45 CFR Part 180. Prices range from $62 in Baltimore to $461 in New York. 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 more than 2,000 hospitals across the top 100 US metros 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

25 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$19518
BaltimoreMD$623
BostonMA$3093
CharlotteNC$40512
ChicagoIL$11332
Dallas-Fort WorthTX$21526
DenverCO$3158
DetroitMI$14814
HoustonTX$1075
Los AngelesCA$31678
MiamiFL$10316
MinneapolisMN$2477
New JerseyNJ$2645
New YorkNY$46123
OrlandoFL$1132
PhiladelphiaPA$17616
PhoenixAZ$25711
PortlandOR$16914
SacramentoCA$944
San DiegoCA$681
San Francisco Bay AreaCA$949
SeattleWA$908
St. LouisMO$32311
TampaFL$1141
Washington DCDC$45115
Below median (15% lower)
Near median
Above median (15% higher)
All 25 Metros

Browse by City

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

342 hospitals across 25 metros
Baltimore
MD
3 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$62
San Diego
CA
1 hospital . Updated 2026-09-01
$68
Seattle
WA
8 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$90
San Francisco Bay Area
CA
9 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$94
Sacramento
CA
4 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$94
Miami
FL
16 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$103
Houston
TX
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$107
Chicago
IL
32 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$113
Orlando
FL
2 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$113
Tampa
FL
1 hospital . Updated 2026-09-01
$114
Detroit
MI
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$148
Portland
OR
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$169
Philadelphia
PA
16 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$176
Atlanta
GA
18 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$195
Dallas-Fort Worth
TX
26 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$215
Minneapolis
MN
7 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$247
Phoenix
AZ
11 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$257
New Jersey
NJ
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$264
Boston
MA
3 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$309
Denver
CO
8 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$315
Los Angeles
CA
78 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$316
St. Louis
MO
11 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$323
Charlotte
NC
12 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$405
Washington DC
DC
15 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$451
New York
NY
23 hospitals . Updated 2026-09-01
$461
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 342 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 342 hospitals in 25 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.