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Emergency Room Visit Cost in North Dakota (2026 Price Guide)

What does a emergency room visit cost in North Dakota?

You could pay $168 or $207 for the same emergency room visit in North Dakota — depending entirely on which facility you choose. The median cash price across 21 reporting hospitals is $180. This data comes directly from hospital price transparency files published under federal law.

How prices are distributed across North Dakota hospitals:
  • Bottom 25% of hospitals: under $166
  • Median: $180
  • Above median (top 30%): $207+
Example — two patients in Bismarck:
  • Patient A (high-cost facility): ~$207
  • Patient B (lower-cost facility): ~$168
Same procedure. Same week. $39 difference.

Cheapest Emergency Room Visit Providers in North Dakota

Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.

# Facility City Price vs Median
2 Altru Hospital Grand Forks, ND $151 -$29
3 Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND $151 -$29
4 Essentia Health Fargo ND $155 -$25
5 Trinity Hospitals Minot, ND $156 -$24
6 CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake Turtle Lake, ND $166 -$14
7 CHI St. Alexius Health Williston Williston, ND $168 -$12
8 Wishek Hospital Clinic Association Po Box 647, ND $170 -$10
9 Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo, ND $176 -$4

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 →

Worth knowing: A small number of hospitals report very high prices above $281, which pulls the overall range wider than what most patients encounter. The typical range above is a better guide for planning.
Every hospital in this dataset offers a cash price — with a median of $186. If your deductible hasn't been met, always ask for the self-pay rate before scheduling.

What you'll actually pay — example scenarios

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met (pay in full) ~$180
Deductible met — 20% coinsurance ~$36
Out-of-network provider $396+

Based on the state median of $180. 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 $125+ vs. the median.

This is the single biggest lever most patients have to reduce their cost.

Lower-cost options in North Dakota start around $166 or below. Most hospitals cluster between $166 and $212. 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: Altru Hospital in Grand Forks (cash price from $151); Sanford Medical Center Bismarck in Bismarck (cash price from $151); Trinity Hospitals in Minot (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 North Dakota

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.

Below state avg Above state avg Click a pin for facility details.

Estimate YOUR exact out-of-pocket cost →

Quick decision guide:
  • Best value hospitals (lowest prices): Kenmare Community Hospital: $55; Altru Hospital: $151; Sanford Medical Center Bismarck: $151
  • Most expensive: Mountrail County Medical Center: ~$595; PAM Cubed Rehabilitation Hospital of Fargo LLC: ~$412

→ Choosing the right facility can save $125+ vs. the state median.

North Dakota 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.

How we calculate "Your Price" — We prioritize the most actionable price in this order:
  1. Cash price — the self-pay rate you can actually negotiate and pay
  2. Negotiated rate — if reported by the hospital across insurance contracts
  3. 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
#1 Kenmare Community Hospital Kenmare, ND $55 -$125 $55–$138
#2 Altru Hospital Grand Forks, ND $151 -$29 $59–$1,687
#3 Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND $151 -$29 $53–$3,271
#4 Essentia Health Fargo ND $155 -$25 $85–$3,229
#5 Trinity Hospitals Minot, ND $156 -$24 $86–$843
#6 CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake Turtle Lake, ND $166 -$14 $58–$1,913
#7 CHI St. Alexius Health Williston Williston, ND $168 -$12 $70–$2,228
#8 Wishek Hospital Clinic Association Po Box 647, ND $170 -$10 $58–$1,989
#9 Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo, ND $176 -$4 $64–$4,886
#10 CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson Dickinson, ND $179 -$1 $70–$2,301
#11 SOUTHWEST HEALTHCARE SERVICES Bowman, ND $180 +$0 $60–$2,275
#12 Ashley Medical Center Po Box 450, ND $191 +$11 $61–$2,709
#13 Langdon Prairie Health Langdon, ND $196 +$16 $115–$2,057
#14 Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center Elgin, ND $198 +$18 $264–$2,527
#15 CHI St. Alexius Health Garrison Garrison, ND $207 +$27 $58–$2,057
▼ Show 6 more North Dakota hospitals
#16 Jamestown Regional Medical Center Jamestown, ND $212 +$32 $81–$265
#17 CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck Bismarck, ND $230 +$50 $255–$3,228
#18 Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center Hillsboro, ND $238 +$58 $298–$3,187
#19 Sanford Mayville Medical Center Mayville, ND $238 +$58 $298–$3,187
#20 PAM Cubed Rehabilitation Hospital of Fargo LLC Fargo, ND $412 +$232 $50–$4,466
#21 Mountrail County Medical Center Stanley, ND $595 +$415 $661

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 North Dakota:

Where you can save the most on emergency room visit in North Dakota

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
Kenmare Community Hospital Kenmare, ND $55 -$125
Altru Hospital Grand Forks, ND $151 -$29
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND $151 -$29
Essentia Health Fargo ND $155 -$25
Trinity Hospitals Minot, ND $156 -$24

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.
Important: Many procedures are done at ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) that are often 30–60% cheaper than hospital outpatient departments with the same clinical quality. Most ASCs are not in this hospital dataset — meaning your cheapest option may not even appear here. Ask your doctor if the procedure can be done at a freestanding ASC.

Most expensive emergency room visit providers in North Dakota

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
Mountrail County Medical Center Stanley, ND $595 +$415
PAM Cubed Rehabilitation Hospital of Fargo LLC Fargo, ND $412 +$232
Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center Hillsboro, ND $238 +$58
Sanford Mayville Medical Center Mayville, ND $238 +$58
CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck Bismarck, ND $230 +$50

Why prices vary this much

A small number of hospitals (2) report very high prices above $281, 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)

Other Procedure Costs in North Dakota

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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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Published May 10, 2026 · Updated May 10, 2026

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