Thoracentesis cost in Corning, NY — inpatient
In Corning, NY, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $336.60 to $500.74, with a median of $418.67. The lowest listed price is at Corning Hospital — $82.07 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $737.31 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Corning, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corning Hospital lowest Corning, NY · (607) 937-7200 Thoracentesis, Needle/Cath, W/ Imaging | $336.60 | $420.75 | $272.23–$746.26 | 20% | — source file |
| Corning Hospital Corning, NY · (607) 937-7200 HC Fac Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $340.46 | $425.57 | $275.34–$746.26 | 20% | — source file |
| St. James Hospital Hornell, NY · (607) 324-8000 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $500.74 | $839.75 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Corning Hospital Corning, NY · (607) 937-7200 Aspirate Pleura W/Imaging | $2,053.52 | $2,566.90 | $289.07–$1,844.57 | 20% | — source file |
| Corning Hospital Corning, NY · (607) 937-7200 Thoracentesis,Needle or Catheter; W/Imaging | $2,174.36 | $2,717.95 | $289.07–$1,953.12 | 20% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $336.60, median $418.67, highest $500.74 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $336.60 — 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.