Thoracentesis cost in Akron, OH
In Akron, OH, 3 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $305.25 to $1,848.60, with a median of $1,687.50. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron — $1,382.25 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,825.53 at 94 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 11, 2025 and Jul 14, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Akron, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron lowest Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 HB THORACENTESIS, NEEDLE OR CATH, ASP OF PLEURAL SPACE G | $305.25 | $407.00 | $138.38–$402.52 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $582.60 | $971.00 | $66.71–$1,078.06 | 40% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| University Hospitals Portage Medical Center Ravenna, OH · (330) 297-2300 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,687.50 | $2,250.00 | $531.00–$2,808.00 | 25% | Jul 14, 2026 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,848.60 | $2,844.00 | $188.50–$3,728.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $305.25, median $1,687.50, highest $1,848.60 — a 6.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,768.05. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Thoracentesis removes fluid from around the lungs with a needle, using ultrasound to guide it.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure and guidance. Lab tests on the fluid are billed separately.