Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $42 — 11% above the US median ($38), roughly 12.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $24 | $45 | — | — | — |
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $42 | $4 | ★ 3/5 | 158 min | — |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $42 | $4 | ★ 3/5 | 243 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 $42 — about 12.0× 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 $114 list price could save about $72 (63%).
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 Birmingham
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Weldon, M.D. | Rheumatology | Birmingham, AL | 190 |
| Frank Malensek, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 81 |
| Sean Jackson, NP-C | Nurse Practitioner | Birmingham, AL | 68 |
| Duane Shroyer, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 48 |
| Matthew Mullen | Rheumatology | Birmingham, AL | 23 |
| David Riddle, MD | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 16 |
| Shelby Nesbitt | Nurse Practitioner | Birmingham, AL | 15 |
All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices in Alabama → · All Sedimentation rate (ESR) test prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham