Sed rate (ESR) cost in Dubuque, IA — inpatient
In Dubuque, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for sed rate (ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) as an inpatient: from $7.20 to $44.20, with a median of $29.90. The lowest listed price is at The Finley Hospital — $22.70 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $29.90 at 35 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 85652, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Dubuque, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Finley Hospital lowest Dubuque, IA · (563) 582-1881 CHG RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $7.20 | $9.00 | $1.62–$8.28 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque Dubuque, IA · (563) 589-8000 HC Sedimentation Rate Erythrocyte Automated | $29.90 | $46.00 | $2.62–$46.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA · (563) 582-1881 HC AUTOM ERYTHROCYTE SED RATE | $33.57 | $41.96 | $22.15–$33.57 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dyersville Dyersville, IA · (563) 875-2900 HC Sedimentation Rate Erythrocyte Automated | $44.20 | $68.00 | $25.70–$76.54 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $7.20, median $29.90, highest $44.20 — a 6.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $29.90 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. 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.