Sed rate (ESR) cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for sed rate (ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate): from $44.00 to $68.50, with a median of $44.00. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast and 1 other hospital. Across South Carolina, the median is $44.00 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 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 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 Columbia, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast lowest Columbia, SC HB SEDIMENTION RATE ERTHROCYTE WESTERGREN | $44.00 | $88.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB SEDIMENTION RATE ERTHROCYTE WESTERGREN | $44.00 | $88.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB SEDIMENTION RATE ERTHROCYTE WESTERGREN | $68.50 | $137.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $44.00, median $44.00, highest $68.50 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $44.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.