Sed rate (ESR) cost in Duluth, MN — inpatient
In Duluth, MN-WI, 9 hospitals list a cash price for sed rate (ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) as an inpatient: from $3.83 to $43.60, with a median of $38.94. The lowest listed price is at Range Regional Health Services — $35.11 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $32.73 at 49 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 6 cities for code 85652, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Regional Health Services lowest Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC SED RATE (ESR) | $3.83 | $9.00 | $4.10–$8.96 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 SEDIMENTATION RATE RBC AUTOMATED | $34.82 | $64.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Fac RBC Sed Rate, Automated | $34.82 | $64.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Virginia Virginia, MN · (218) 741-3340 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $37.05 | $59.00 | $25.31–$53.16 | 37% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $38.94 | $59.00 | $25.31–$50.74 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $38.94 | $59.00 | $25.31–$50.74 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $38.94 | $59.00 | $24.40–$50.74 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Moose Lake Moose Lake, MN · (218) 786-1367 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $43.60 | $59.00 | $23.72–$53.40 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St Marys Hospital-Superior Superior, WI · (715) 817-7000 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $43.60 | $59.00 | $23.72–$53.40 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Northern Pines Aurora, MN · (218) 229-4222 RBC SED RATE, AUTO | $43.60 | $59.00 | $23.72–$59.00 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $3.83, median $38.94, highest $43.60 — a 11.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $38.94 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.