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Hospital Observation

The median cost of Hospital Observation in the United States is $209 cash pay, with prices typically ranging from $62 to $845 depending on the metro area. ProcedureRadar scans federally mandated hospital pricing files across 25 major US metros to show you exactly what 366 hospitals charge for this procedure. Baltimore is currently the cheapest metro at $62, while Phoenix is the most expensive at $845, a difference of 1263%.

Federal Data
45 CFR Part 180
Updated Monthly
Last scan 2026-04-18
366 Hospitals
across 25 metros
National Median (Cash Pay)
$209
$62$845
Typical Range
See Cheapest Near You

The national median cash price for Hospital Observation is $209 based on data from 366 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 $845 in Phoenix. 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$23224
BaltimoreMD$623
BostonMA$1445
CharlotteNC$66217
ChicagoIL$14633
Dallas-Fort WorthTX$26241
DenverCO$34510
DetroitMI$13819
HoustonTX$2215
Los AngelesCA$35155
MiamiFL$20922
MinneapolisMN$2066
New JerseyNJ$4668
New YorkNY$51127
OrlandoFL$2182
PhiladelphiaPA$23219
PhoenixAZ$84510
PortlandOR$67413
SacramentoCA$854
San DiegoCA$751
San Francisco Bay AreaCA$859
SeattleWA$17110
St. LouisMO$1608
TampaFL$1711
Washington DCDC$8414
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.

366 hospitals across 25 metros
Baltimore
MD
3 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$62
San Diego
CA
1 hospital . Updated 2026-04-18
$75
Washington DC
DC
14 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$84
San Francisco Bay Area
CA
9 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$85
Sacramento
CA
4 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$85
Detroit
MI
19 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$138
Boston
MA
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$144
Chicago
IL
33 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$146
St. Louis
MO
8 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$160
Seattle
WA
10 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$171
Tampa
FL
1 hospital . Updated 2026-04-18
$171
Minneapolis
MN
6 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$206
Miami
FL
22 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$209
Orlando
FL
2 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$218
Houston
TX
5 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$221
Philadelphia
PA
19 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$232
Atlanta
GA
24 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$232
Dallas-Fort Worth
TX
41 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$262
Denver
CO
10 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$345
Los Angeles
CA
55 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$351
New Jersey
NJ
8 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$466
New York
NY
27 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$511
Charlotte
NC
17 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$662
Portland
OR
13 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$674
Phoenix
AZ
10 hospitals . Updated 2026-04-18
$845
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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Related Other Procedures

Pricing for similar procedures, sourced from the same 366 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 366 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.