Thoracentesis cost in Columbia, MO — inpatient
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $671.40 to $1,519.20, with a median of $1,095.30. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center — $423.90 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $720.85 at 23 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING-CF | $671.40 | $1,119.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-PFT | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORAC NEEDLE/CATH ASPIR PLEURAL W IMING-AM | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORAC NEEDLE/CATH ASPIR PLEURAL W IMING-CM | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORAC NEEDLE/CATH ASPIR PLEURAL W IMING-JIR | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORAC NEEDLE/CATH ASPIR PLEURAL W IMING-JCT | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-EF | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-CAC | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-SC | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE OR CATHETER WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-EFOU | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-OPU | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATHETER W/IMAGING GUIDANCE (PFT)-JRT | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE OR CATHETER WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-HVCK | $1,519.20 | $2,532.00 | $886.20–$2,228.16 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 THORACENTESIS PLEURA W/IMAG LT | $1,559.40 | $2,599.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 THORACENTESIS PLEURA W/IMAG RT | $1,559.40 | $2,599.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING LT | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIR PLEURA W/ IMAGING RT | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIR PLEURA W/ IMAGING LT | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING RT | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASP PLEURA W/ IMAGING RT 32555 | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center one side Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASP PLEURA W/ IMAGING LT 32555 | $1,637.40 | $2,729.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-EC | $1,823.40 | $3,039.00 | $1,063.65–$2,674.32 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 THORACENTESIS,NEEDLE OR CATHETER, WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE-JER | $1,823.40 | $3,039.00 | $1,063.65–$2,674.32 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING BIL | $3,274.80 | $5,458.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $671.40, median $1,095.30, highest $1,519.20 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,095.30 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.