Probability of Visiting the Emergency Room (Annual)
14.8% (1 in 6.8)
Annual probability in US
About 14.8% of Americans visit an emergency department each year, totaling approximately 130 million ED visits annually.
According to CDC National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data, approximately 130 million emergency department visits occur in the US each year, representing about 14.8% of the population. This includes about 39 visits per 100 persons, as some individuals make multiple visits.
The most common reasons for ED visits include chest pain, abdominal pain, injuries, respiratory problems, and headaches. About 16% of ED visits result in hospital admission. Children under 1 and adults over 75 have the highest ED visit rates. Many ED visits could potentially be handled in lower-cost settings like urgent care clinics, but barriers to primary care access drive people to the ED.
The average ED visit costs approximately $2,200, and wait times average 2.5 hours. To reduce unnecessary ED visits: establish a relationship with a primary care provider, use urgent care clinics for non-life-threatening issues, call your doctor's after-hours line for guidance, and know which symptoms truly require emergency care (chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, stroke symptoms, severe allergic reactions). Many insurance plans now offer 24/7 nurse hotlines to help determine if an ED visit is necessary.
Use This in a Decision
Plug this probability into our expected value calculator to make a data-driven decision.
Start a Decision