Thoracentesis cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 7 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $486.39 to $4,893.55, with a median of $4,893.55. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $4,407.16 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $4,893.55 at 9 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 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 30, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC THORACENTESIS W IMG GUIDANCE | $486.39 | $1,389.67 | $476.66–$3,603.00 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=THORACENTESIS WITH GUIDANCE | $1,060.15 | $1,631.00 | $163.10–$1,500.52 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health one side Denver, CO · (303) 388-4461 HC THORACENTESIS/ASPIRATION WITH IMAGING UNILATERAL | $1,339.80 | $1,914.00 | $661.73–$4,048.44 | 30% | — source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,668.55 | $2,567.00 | $256.70–$2,361.64 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=THORACENTESIS NDL/CATH W/IMAGING | $2,061.15 | $3,171.00 | $317.10–$2,917.32 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $4,893.55 | $4,893.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $4,893.55 | $4,893.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $4,893.55 | $4,893.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $4,893.55 | $4,893.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $486.39, median $4,893.55, highest $4,893.55 — a 10.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $4,893.55. 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 3 of 3 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.