Thoracentesis cost in Dayton, OH
In Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $190.40 to $4,806.00, with a median of $4,806.00. The lowest listed price is at Dayton Childrens Hospital — $4,615.60 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,825.53 at 94 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton Childrens Hospital lowest Dayton, OH · (937) 641-5509 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $190.40 | $272.00 | $611.77–$917.66 | 30% | — source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Miamisburg, OH · (937) 384-8760 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Troy, OH · (937) 980-7000 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Dayton Osteopathic Hospital Dayton, OH · (937) 723-3410 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Greene Memorial Hospital Xenia, OH · (937) 352-2000 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Beavercreek Medical Center Beaver Creek, OH · (937) 702-4000 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Kettering, OH · (937) 298-4331 Hc Thoracentesis For Aspiration With Imaging | $4,806.00 | $12,015.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $190.40, median $4,806.00, highest $4,806.00 — a 25.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $4,806.00. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated and 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.