Sed rate (ESR) cost in Atlanta, GA — inpatient
In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, 18 hospitals list a cash price for sed rate (ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) as an inpatient: from $5.85 to $71.00, with a median of $29.93. The lowest listed price is at Wellstar Roosevelt Long Term Acute Care At Warm Sp and 8 other hospitals — $24.08 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $39.00 at 32 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 13 cities for code 85652, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellstar Roosevelt Long Term Acute Care At Warm Sp lowest Warm Springs, GA Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital lowest Griffin, GA · (770) 228-2721 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Sylvan Grove Hospital lowest Jackson, GA · (770) 775-7861 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital lowest Marietta, GA Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Douglas Hospital lowest Douglasville, GA · (770) 949-1500 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar North Fulton Hospital lowest Roswell, GA · (770) 751-2500 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Paulding Hospital lowest Hiram, GA · (470) 644-7000 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Cobb Hospital lowest Austell, GA · (770) 732-4000 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Kennestone Hospital lowest Marietta, GA · (770) 793-5000 Hc Sed Rate | $5.85 | $15.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Shepherd Center Northwest Atlanta, GA HC SEDIMENTATION RATE AUTO | $54.00 | $108.00 | $52.92–$91.80 | 50% | — source file |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-8500 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Josephs Hospital of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (678) 843-7001 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Emory Decatur Hospital Decatur, GA · (404) 501-1000 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital Lithonia, GA · (404) 501-8040 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital Johns Creek, GA · (678) 474-7000 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Health Resource Decatur, GA Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Es Rehabilitation Atlanta, GA Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Crawford Long Hospital Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-2450 Hc Rbc Sed Rate, Auto - Sedimentation Rate, Automated | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $5.85, median $29.93, highest $71.00 — a 12.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 19 facilities here, median $54.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
The sed rate measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube. A fast rate is a general sign of inflammation; it is used for conditions such as giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica and to follow them.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.