Prices at 5 hospitals in Boston, MA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $33 — 13% below the US median ($38), roughly 9.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufts Medical Center | Boston, MA | $6 | $4 | ★ 2/5 | 208 min | — |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Boston, MA | $33 | $32 | ★ 5/5 | 288 min | — |
| Brigham and Women's Hospital | Boston, MA | $33 | $33 | ★ 5/5 | 300 min | — |
| The Shriners' Hospital for Children-Boston | Boston, MA | $34 | $5 | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary | Boston, MA | $47 | $41 | — | 174 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $33 — about 9.5× the Medicare rate ($3). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($7).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $44 list price could save about $11 (25%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Boston
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Fisher, MD, MPH | Rheumatology | Boston, MA | 338 |
| Pablo Weilg, MD | Rheumatology | Boston, MA | 247 |
| Courtney Robbel, MD | Hematology-Oncology | Boston, MA | 38 |
All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices in Massachusetts → · All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices (national) · All hospitals in Boston