Sed rate (ESR) cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 11 hospitals list a cash price for sed rate (ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate): from $5.06 to $29.40, with a median of $28.80. The lowest listed price is at Bethesda North and 1 other hospital — $23.74 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $30.31 at 86 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 5 cities for code 85652, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda North lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Sedimentation Rate | $5.06 | $6.75 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital lowest Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Sedimentation Rate | $5.06 | $6.75 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Sedimentation Rate | $9.23 | $12.30 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Esr-Auto | $25.50 | $50.00 | $2.70–$50.00 | 49% | — source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Sedimentation Rate (Esr) | $28.80 | $48.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Sedimentation Rate (Esr) | $28.80 | $48.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Sed Rate | $29.40 | $49.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Sed Rate | $29.40 | $49.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Sed Rate | $29.40 | $49.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Sed Rate | $29.40 | $49.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Sed Rate | $29.40 | $49.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5.06, median $28.80, highest $29.40 — a 5.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $37.20. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.