Home › Medical cities › Colorado

Hospital & Medical Cost in Colorado (2026)

Hospital costs in Colorado typically run $1,900–$4,500 for an uninsured moderate-acuity Level-3 ER visit, with ACA Medicaid expanded. Colorado's combination of Colorado Option Standardized Health Benefit Plan (one of only 2 U.S. states with state-administered public-option plans, alongside WA Cascade Care), Hospital Transparency Act (HB22-1284) beyond federal CMS rule, $300K non-economic / $1M total malpractice cap under CRS § 13-64-302, no CON program, Denver (UCHealth, HealthONE, SCL Health) + Colorado Springs + Boulder metro concentration of 80%+ of state hospital capacity, multi-plan-competitive market with Kaiser Colorado as the second-largest Kaiser region nationally, and ACA Medicaid expanded.

State Colorado
Cities Covered 2
Typical uninsured moderate-acuity Level-3 ER visit $1,900 – $4,500
BLS Registered Nurse wage $43.85/hr

Colorado payer mix, regulation & malpractice drivers

  • Surprise billing protection: Robust state statute — state-level surprise billing protection beyond federal No Surprises Act
  • Certificate of Need (CON) status: No Certificate of Need program
  • Medicaid expansion status: ACA Medicaid expanded — coverage to 138% federal poverty level
  • Malpractice non-economic damages cap: Hard statutory non-economic damages cap — $300,000 non-economic + $1M total cap under CRS § 13-64-302 (Colorado Health Care Availability Act)
  • Hospital price transparency mandate: Moderate state mandate — selective state price transparency requirements alongside federal CMS rule
  • Dominant health insurance market structure: Multi-plan competitive — no single insurer holds dominant market share

Colorado medical board & physician licensing

  • License status: Statewide license required
  • License board: Colorado Medical Board (CMB) — Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) (official site)
  • Permit: Colorado Medical Board (CMB) physician license required; DEA Schedule II-V registration; hospital privileging through individual hospital medical staff; NO Certificate of Need program; Colorado Option Standardized Health Benefit Plan (HB21-1232); Colorado Hospital Transparency Act (HB22-1284)

How medical care costs vary in Colorado

State-specific code or insurance rule: Colorado launched the Colorado Option Standardized Health Benefit Plan in January 2023 under HB21-1232 — one of the only state-administered public-option-style health insurance plans in the country (alongside WA Cascade Care launched 2021) — requiring all individual and small-group market insurers to offer a standardized plan with capped premium growth, and Colorado Hospital Transparency Act (HB22-1284) requires hospital price disclosure beyond the federal CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule, plus Colorado Health Care Availability Act (CRS § 13-64-302) caps medical malpractice non-economic damages at $300,000 with $1M total cap including economic damages.

Cities in Colorado

Compare medical care pricing for 2 cities across Colorado.

Colorado Springs, CO

Compare local medical care pricing in Colorado Springs.

Denver, CO

Compare local medical care pricing in Denver.

Got a quote? Check if it's fair.

Upload your estimate for an instant price and scope review tuned to Colorado labor and material rates.

Analyze your quote

More state guides

Pricing ranges reflect Colorado market labor (BLS OEWS Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) state mean $43.85/hr) and Woogoro regional cost modeling. For the most localized estimate, see your nearest city page above.