The median cost of Hospital Observation in the United States is $189 cash pay, with prices typically ranging from $54 to $627 depending on the metro area. ProcedureRadar scans federally mandated hospital pricing files across 25 major US metros to show you exactly what 462 hospitals charge for this procedure. San Diego is currently the cheapest metro at $54, while Charlotte is the most expensive at $627, a difference of 1061%.
The national median cash price for Hospital Observation is $189 based on data from 462 hospitals across 25 US metros, sourced from federally mandated hospital price transparency files under 45 CFR Part 180. Prices range from $54 in San Diego to $627 in Charlotte. 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.
25 metros, ranked by median price. Dot position is price; center bullseye is cheapest. Hover a dot to see the metro.
| Metro | State | Median Price | Hospitals Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | GA | $114 | 36 |
| Baltimore | MD | $62 | 3 |
| Boston | MA | $199 | 5 |
| Charlotte | NC | $627 | 17 |
| Chicago | IL | $121 | 39 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | $204 | 43 |
| Denver | CO | $274 | 10 |
| Detroit | MI | $126 | 19 |
| Houston | TX | $221 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | CA | $316 | 103 |
| Miami | FL | $137 | 22 |
| Minneapolis | MN | $189 | 8 |
| New Jersey | NJ | $466 | 18 |
| New York | NY | $218 | 30 |
| Orlando | FL | $183 | 2 |
| Philadelphia | PA | $121 | 22 |
| Phoenix | AZ | $304 | 11 |
| Portland | OR | $210 | 14 |
| Sacramento | CA | $72 | 4 |
| San Diego | CA | $54 | 1 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | CA | $72 | 9 |
| Seattle | WA | $85 | 10 |
| St. Louis | MO | $306 | 14 |
| Tampa | FL | $171 | 1 |
| Washington DC | DC | $199 | 16 |
Sorted by cheapest median price. Click any metro to see every hospital and its full pricing breakdown.
Cash pay prices, nationwide. Every hospital here publishes its pricing under 45 CFR Part 180.
The questions patients ask us most, answered clearly.
Pricing for similar procedures, sourced from the same 462 hospitals.
Aggregate pricing sourced from hospital Machine-Readable Files across the United States.
Disclosure required by 45 CFR Part 180.
Last updated: