US Health Care Costs

Draining fluid from the chest (thoracentesis)

CPT 32555 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 172 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $2,025, and most charge between $718 and $4,806 (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

$2,025typical cash price
$1,966typical commercial insurer rate
$3,161typical list price
172hospitals in 36 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWI$1.2kVTNHWA$1.1kID$1.7kMTNDMN$333IL$2.4kMI$863NY$2.5kMA$1.3kOR$1.9kNVWYSD$1.9kIA$2.3kIN$1.9kOH$4.8kPA$741NJ$820CT$1.3kRICA$2.0kUT$1.8kCO$1.5kNE$671MO$2.8kKY$2.5kWVVA$2.4kMDDE$1.9kAZ$3.1kNMKSARTN$496NC$1.3kSC$1.2kDCOK$2.0kLAMS$1.3kAL$2.3kGA$2.2kHITX$2.6kFL$1.1kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$2,345$2,345$2,345$1,551
Arizona2$3,089$431$5,748$1,025
California16$1,958$979$2,956$2,535
Colorado1$1,545$1,545$1,545$1,920
Connecticut1$1,296$1,296$1,296$256
Delaware1$1,866$1,866$1,866$2,913
Florida16$1,106$1,015$2,311$2,118
Georgia7$2,166$1,087$3,131$3,019
Iowa1$2,306$2,306$2,306$1,535
Idaho2$1,672$1,672$1,672$1,328
Illinois9$2,419$1,250$5,905$1,818
Indiana3$1,919$1,441$3,141$3,246
Kansas3–––$721
Kentucky2$2,483$2,483$2,483$1,402
Massachusetts4$1,252$968$3,005$907
Michigan3$863$863$3,159$1,135
Minnesota1$333$333$333$1,024
Missouri6$2,830$1,519$3,487$1,342
Mississippi1$1,265$1,265$1,265$1,388
North Carolina6$1,337$412$2,663$1,268
Nebraska1$671$671$671$1,562
New Jersey10$820$684$6,839$2,279
Nevada1–––$1,706
New York3$2,544$1,485$3,348$1,605
Ohio10$4,806$295$8,029$2,781
Oklahoma3$1,951$684$2,530$1,222
Oregon1$1,929$1,929$1,929$1,845
Pennsylvania10$741$468$6,326$3,031
South Carolina5$1,242$1,242$2,339$1,430
South Dakota1$1,880$1,880$1,880$1,293
Tennessee3$496$496$496$1,647
Texas26$2,572$1,085$16,758$2,114
Utah2$1,755$1,612$1,897$1,818
Virginia7$2,363$2,363$2,363$2,380
Washington2$1,122$152$2,092$2,027
Wisconsin1$1,200$1,200$1,200$2,021
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 chest (thoracentesis) cost at a hospital?

At 136 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for draining fluid from the chest (thoracentesis) is $2,025, and most charge between $718 and $4,806. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,966. 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 chest (thoracentesis)?

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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