Prices at 14 hospitals in Philadelphia, PA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $65 — 73% above the US median ($38), roughly 18.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shriners Hospitals for Children-Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $31 | $4 | — | — | — |
| Nazareth Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $62 | $14 | ★ 2/5 | 216 min | 14.5% |
| St Christopher's Hospital for Children | Philadelphia, PA | $65 | $7 | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $162 | $32 | ★ 4/5 | 272 min | 15.8% |
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $162 | $51 | ★ 4/5 | 316 min | 15.2% |
| Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $173 | $52 | ★ 5/5 | 280 min | 14.4% |
| Philadelphia VA Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $365 | $153 | ★ 5/5 | — | 14.5% |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $365 | $153 | — | — | — |
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 August 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 $65 — about 18.6× 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 $162 list price could save about $97 (60%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices in Pennsylvania → · All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices (national) · All hospitals in Philadelphia