Thoracentesis cost in Clinton, IA
In Clinton, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $227.00 to $739.20, with a median of $483.10. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center — $256.10 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $766.40 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 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 Mar 31, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Clinton, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center lowest Clinton, IA · (563) 244-5555 PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | $8.69–$454.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center one side Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 PULM Thoracentesis, Left | $739.20 | $1,232.00 | $418.88–$899.36 | 40% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center one side Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 PULM Thoracentesis, Right | $739.20 | $1,232.00 | $418.88–$899.36 | 40% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center one side Clinton, IA · (563) 244-5555 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Rt | $1,265.55 | $1,947.00 | $551.00–$1,947.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center one side Clinton, IA · (563) 244-5555 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Lt | $1,265.55 | $1,947.00 | $551.00–$1,947.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton, IA · (563) 244-5555 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Bl | $1,898.00 | $2,920.00 | $577.66–$2,920.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center both sides Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 PULM Thoracentesis, Bilateral | $739.20 | $1,232.00 | $418.88–$899.36 | 40% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $227.00, median $483.10, highest $739.20 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $739.20, median $739.20, highest $739.20.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $224.20. 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 2 of 2 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.