US Health Care Costs

Draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis) in California

CPT 49083 · hospital facility charge

Cash prices range from $698 to $2,111 at the 16 California hospitals whose price files we have read so far.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,640typical cash price
$1,896typical commercial insurer rate
$698–$2.1kcash price range, 9 hospitals
Cash price by hospital, lowest first
El Camino Health
$698
Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas
$1,269
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
$1,269
University of California Davis Medical Center
$1,422
Mercy Medical Center Redding
$1,640
Grossmont Hospital
$1,904
Sharp Memorial Hospital
$1,904
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
$2,057
Stanford Health Care
$2,111

California typical cash price: $1,640

California hospitals compared

HospitalCityList priceCash priceInsurers (median)
El Camino HealthMountain View$2,793$698–
Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasEncinitas$5,076$1,269$1,436$1,049–$2,899 · 82 plans
Scripps Memorial Hospital La JollaLa Jolla$5,076$1,269$1,436$1,049–$2,873 · 82 plans
University of California Davis Medical CenterSacramento$3,556$1,422$3,602$106–$16,400 · 29 plans
Mercy Medical Center ReddingRedding$3,263$1,640$6,745$2,721–$15,408 · 15 plans
Grossmont HospitalLa Mesa$2,538$1,904$1,508$757–$2,030 · 30 plans
Sharp Memorial HospitalSan Diego$2,538$1,904$1,561$658–$2,000 · 14 plans
Stanford Health Care Tri-ValleyPleasanton$5,142$2,057$5,694$1,686–$5,848 · 7 plans
Stanford Health CareStanford$5,278$2,111$17,652$14,264–$18,746 · 5 plans
Good Samaritan HospitalSan Jose––$4,309$66–$7,783 · 18 plans
Hoag Memorial Hospital PresbyterianNewport Beach––$5,142$4,120–$8,485 · 7 plans
Los Robles Hospital & Medical CenterThousand Oaks––$7,139$66–$10,094 · 16 plans
Ronald Reagan Ucla Medical CenterLos Angeles––$1,599$1,156–$2,935 · 8 plans
Southern California Hospital at HollywoodHollywood––$984$12–$2,797 · 18 plans
Uci Health-LakewoodLakewood––$1,896$1,721–$6,084 · 6 plans
Uci Health-OrangeOrange––$1,896$1,721–$6,084 · 6 plans
Only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor (radiologist, surgeon, anesthesiologist) usually bills separately.

Common questions

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

At 9 California hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis) is $1,640, and most charge between $1,155 and $2,068. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,896. 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 6 of the 8 hospitals in California 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.

Which hospital in California has the lowest cash price for draining fluid from the belly (paracentesis)?

Of the hospitals whose price files we have read, the lowest published cash price is $698 at El Camino Health. Confirm the price with the hospital before you book.

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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