US Health Care Costs

Draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis)

CPT 49083 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 172 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,904, and most charge between $939 and $4,937 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,904typical cash price
$2,115typical commercial insurer rate
$3,263typical list price
172hospitals in 36 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWI$1.8kVTNHWA$954ID$2.5kMTNDMN$304IL$1.9kMI$1.2kNY$3.6kMA$2.2kOR$943NVWYSD$2.0kIA$1.9kIN$1.9kOH$2.3kPA$1.7kNJ$1.2kCT$3.7kRICA$1.6kUT$1.9kCO$1.5kNE$936MO$3.1kKY$3.8kWVVA$1.9kMDDE$1.6kAZ$2.5kNMKS$4.1kARTN$537NC$2.0kSC$1.7kDCOK$1.1kLAMS$1.1kAL$1.7kGA$1.6kHITX$4.5kFL$1.3kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$1,654$1,654$1,654$1,654
Arizona2$2,487$434$4,540$1,278
California16$1,640$698$2,111$1,896
Colorado1$1,456$1,456$1,456$2,121
Connecticut1$3,728$3,728$3,728$233
Delaware1$1,645$1,645$1,645$4,212
Florida16$1,251$1,121$3,504$2,309
Georgia7$1,566$1,208$2,425$3,360
Iowa1$1,877$1,877$1,877$2,112
Idaho2$2,526$2,526$2,526$2,011
Illinois9$1,880$1,425$4,994$2,012
Indiana3$1,919$1,382$1,968$3,468
Kansas3$4,097$4,097$4,097$1,172
Kentucky2$3,765$3,765$3,765$2,072
Massachusetts4$2,193$1,614$2,938$901
Michigan3$1,247$1,247$2,672$975
Minnesota1$304$304$304$1,411
Missouri6$3,085$1,388$3,839$1,468
Mississippi1$1,101$1,101$1,101$2,006
North Carolina6$2,043$472$2,700$1,850
Nebraska1$936$936$936$1,921
New Jersey10$1,222$1,038$6,839$2,126
Nevada1–––$2,106
New York3$3,630$1,336$3,818$2,407
Ohio10$2,266$275$6,299$3,301
Oklahoma3$1,142$929$1,591$1,530
Oregon1$943$943$943$1,036
Pennsylvania10$1,737$994$8,546$3,111
South Carolina5$1,731$1,731$2,410$1,509
South Dakota1$1,962$1,962$1,962$1,349
Tennessee3$537$537$537$2,303
Texas26$4,525$332$17,870$2,167
Utah2$1,874$1,722$2,026$1,941
Virginia7$1,908$1,908$1,908$3,047
Washington2$954$146$1,762$2,929
Wisconsin1$1,790$1,790$1,790$2,250
172 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis) cost at a hospital?

At 135 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis) is $1,904, and most charge between $939 and $4,937. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $2,115. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis)?

At 67 of the 130 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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