Thoracentesis cost in Charleston, SC
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 5 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,568.50 to $2,338.70, with a median of $2,338.70. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Medical Center — $770.20 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $1,486.25 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Medical Center lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB THORACENTESIS,ASPIRATE W IMG | $1,568.50 | $3,137.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,338.70 | $3,598.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,338.70 | $3,598.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,338.70 | $3,598.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,338.70 | $3,598.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,568.50, median $2,338.70, highest $2,338.70 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $2,338.70. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.