Thoracentesis cost in Austin, TX
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 9 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $778.05 to $2,611.66, with a median of $1,110.97. The lowest listed price is at Ascension Cedar Park — $332.92 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $1,325.03 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 7 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 Mar 5, 2026 and Jun 13, 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Cedar Park lowest Cedar Park, TX · (512) 528-7000 US-THORACNTSIS W IMG | $778.05 | $2,161.25 | $112.95–$969.15 | 64% | — source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $661.67–$1,203.55 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $661.67–$1,203.55 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $661.67–$1,203.55 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $223.75–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $239.41–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $223.75–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $223.75–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $223.75–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG (BRONCHOSCOPY) | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $223.75–$2,630.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,110.97 | $1,851.62 | $71.00–$3,500.00 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC THORACENTESIS, NEEDLE OR CATH, W/ IMG GUIDE | $2,611.66 | $3,898.00 | $223.75–$3,703.10 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC THORACENTESIS, ASPIRATION PLEURAL SPACE, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,611.66 | $3,898.00 | $223.75–$3,703.10 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $778.05, median $1,110.97, highest $2,611.66 — a 3.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $1,110.97. 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 9 of 9 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.