Emergency Room Visit Cost in Minnesota (2026 Price Guide)
What does a emergency room visit cost in Minnesota?
You could pay $165 or $220 for the same emergency room visit in Minnesota — depending entirely on which facility you choose. The median cash price across 47 reporting hospitals is $187. This data comes directly from hospital price transparency files published under federal law.
- Bottom 25% of hospitals: under $159
- Median: $187
- Above median (top 30%): $220+
- Patient A (high-cost facility): ~$220
- Patient B (lower-cost facility): ~$165
Cheapest Emergency Room Visit Providers in Minnesota
Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.
| # | Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Essentia Health Ada | MN | $157 | -$30 |
| 6 | Essentia Health Sandstone | MN | $157 | -$30 |
| 7 | Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital | Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital 115 W 2Nd St Graceville, MN | $157 | -$30 |
| 8 | Essentia Health Fosston | MN | $157 | -$30 |
| 9 | Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center | Essentia Health St. Joseph'S Medical Center 523 N 3Rd St Brainerd, MN | $157 | -$30 |
| 10 | United Hospital District, Inc | MN | $158 | -$29 |
| 11 | Essentia Health Deer River | MN | $158 | -$29 |
| 12 | Alomere Health | Alexandria, MN | $158 | -$29 |
Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.
The facility you choose matters more than almost anything else — the same procedure, same quality, same state can cost 5× more at one hospital versus the one down the road.
→ Compare all procedure costs → Emergency Room Visit costs nationwide
Check YOUR hospital's pricing → Estimate YOUR exact cost →
What you'll actually pay — example scenarios
| Your situation | Estimated out-of-pocket |
|---|---|
| Deductible not yet met (pay in full) | ~$187 |
| Deductible met — 20% coinsurance | ~$37 |
| Out-of-network provider | $411+ |
Based on the state median of $187. Your actual cost depends on your plan deductible, coinsurance rate, and network tier. Get YOUR personalized estimate →
What this means for you
If you haven't met your deductible, you are effectively a cash-pay patient.
That means:
- You should shop prices directly — the same way you'd compare any major purchase
- Insurance may not get you a better deal than the cash price
- The cheapest facility can save you $121+ vs. the median.
This is the single biggest lever most patients have to reduce their cost.
Lower-cost options in Minnesota start around $159 or below. Most hospitals cluster between $159 and $226. A smaller group reports prices above that — often academic medical centers or high-cost markets.
If you're comparing specific hospitals, the lowest self-pay rates reported in this dataset include: RiverView Health Association in Crookston (cash price from $152); Essentia Health Duluth in Essentia Health Duluth (cash price from $155); Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services in Elbow Lake (cash price from $156). These are declared cash prices — contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.
Where emergency room visit costs vary in Minnesota
Each pin represents a hospital that filed price transparency data. Green pins are below the state cash-price average; red are above. Click any pin for facility name and price details.
Estimate YOUR exact out-of-pocket cost →
- Best value hospitals (lowest prices): Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital: $66; RiverView Health Association: $152; Essentia Health Duluth: $155
- Most expensive: Avera Granite Falls Health Center: ~$488; Sanford Tracy Hospital: ~$323
→ Choosing the right facility can save $121+ vs. the state median.
Minnesota Emergency Room Visit prices by facility
All prices below come from hospital chargemasters — the official price lists each hospital must publish under federal law. Gross charge is the undiscounted list price; cash price is the self-pay rate; negotiated range covers the spread across insurance contracts.
- Cash price — the self-pay rate you can actually negotiate and pay
- Negotiated rate — if reported by the hospital across insurance contracts
- Gross charge — fallback only; this is the inflated list price few people pay
This reflects the real prices patients encounter — not inflated chargemaster rates.
| # | Facility | City | Your Price | vs Median | Gross Charge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| #1 | Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital | Duluth, MN | $66 | -$121 | $66–$88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #2 | RiverView Health Association | Crookston, MN | $152 | -$35 | $87–$2,529 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #3 | Essentia Health Duluth | Essentia Health Duluth, MN | $155 | -$32 | $85–$1,492 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #4 | Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services | Elbow Lake, MN | $156 | -$31 | $68–$2,813 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #5 | Essentia Health Ada | MN | $157 | -$30 | $85–$855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #6 | Essentia Health Sandstone | MN | $157 | -$30 | $85–$855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #7 | Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital | Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital 115 W 2Nd St Graceville, MN | $157 | -$30 | $85–$855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #8 | Essentia Health Fosston | MN | $157 | -$30 | $85–$855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #9 | Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center | Essentia Health St. Joseph'S Medical Center 523 N 3Rd St Brainerd, MN | $157 | -$30 | $85–$3,280 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #10 | United Hospital District, Inc | MN | $158 | -$29 | $186–$2,430 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #11 | Essentia Health Deer River | MN | $158 | -$29 | $88–$842 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #12 | Alomere Health | Alexandria, MN | $158 | -$29 | $83–$2,364 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #13 | Northern Itasca Hospital District | Bigfork, MN | $160 | -$27 | $149–$2,595 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #14 | GILLETTE CHILDREN'S SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE | MN | $162 | -$25 | $55–$710 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #15 | Community Memorial Hospital | Cloquet, MN | $166 | -$21 | $112–$2,113 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
▼ Show 32 more Minnesota hospitals
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Source: CMS hospital price transparency machine-readable files. vs Median = savings or premium relative to the state median price. Gross Charge = undiscounted list price for reference.
Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go →
Compare other procedures in Minnesota:
Where you can save the most on emergency room visit in Minnesota
These facilities have the lowest declared prices relative to the state median — they represent the best opportunities to reduce your out-of-pocket cost for this procedure.
| Facility | City | Your Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital | Duluth, MN | $66 | -$121 |
| RiverView Health Association | Crookston, MN | $152 | -$35 |
| Essentia Health Duluth | Essentia Health Duluth, MN | $155 | -$32 |
| Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services | Elbow Lake, MN | $156 | -$31 |
| Essentia Health Ada | MN | $157 | -$30 |
How to choose a lower-cost facility
- Choose independent outpatient centers when possible — freestanding ASCs (ambulatory surgical centers) consistently charge less than hospital outpatient departments for identical procedures.
- Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met — self-pay rates are often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied, especially at facilities that have a high cash-price discount.
- Avoid hospital outpatient departments for routine cases — hospital-owned locations add a facility fee that freestanding centers don't charge, often adding $500–$1,500 to the same procedure.
Most expensive emergency room visit providers in Minnesota
These facilities report the highest prices for this procedure. Academic medical centers and specialty hospitals often top this list — their gross charges rarely reflect what anyone actually pays, but understanding the spread helps you negotiate.
| Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avera Granite Falls Health Center | Granite Falls, MN | $488 | +$301 |
| Sanford Tracy Hospital | Tracy, MN | $323 | +$136 |
| Sanford Westbrook Hospital | Westbrook, MN | $323 | +$136 |
| Sanford Bagley Medical Center | Bagley, MN | $315 | +$128 |
| Cook Hospital | MN | $310 | +$123 |
Why prices vary this much
A small number of hospitals (1) report very high prices above $326, which drives much of the overall price range. Excluding these, most facilities cluster in a significantly tighter band.
The spread comes from how each hospital sets its chargemaster (the undiscounted list price), what cash discounts it applies, and what rates it negotiates with each insurer. Facility classification matters too — a hospital-owned outpatient center adds a facility fee that a freestanding clinic does not. Understanding these mechanics is the first step to paying less.
Learn more:
→ Allowed amount vs negotiated rate — what your EOB is really saying
→ How to read your medical bill
→ Why hospital prices are so hard to find — and what to do about it
How insurance changes what you actually pay
Hospital list prices are only part of the picture. What you pay out of pocket depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility is in-network, and whether your plan classifies the visit as outpatient or inpatient. A lower gross charge doesn't guarantee a lower bill if the facility is out-of-network or adds facility fees your plan doesn't cover.
Understand your cost before you go:
→ Deductible vs out-of-pocket max
→ EOB vs medical bill — complete guide
→ How to stop medical bill problems before they start (in-network vs out-of-network)
Compare emergency room visit costs in nearby states
Explore all emergency room visit cost data
→ See emergency room visit costs across all states
CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. If you've received a bill for this procedure:
→ Analyze your medical bill for errors
→ How to negotiate your medical bills
→ Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account)
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About the Author
John Caruso, FSA, MAAA
Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.
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