Thoracentesis cost in Elizabeth City, NC
In Elizabeth City, NC, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,702.00 to $1,702.00, with a median of $1,702.00. Across North Carolina, the median is $1,571.00 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility 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 Elizabeth City, NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center lowest Elizabeth City, NC · (252) 335-0531 Thoracentesis W/ Img Guide | $1,702.00 | $3,404.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center lowest Elizabeth City, NC · (252) 335-0531 32555 Thoracentsis W Img Guid | $1,702.00 | $3,404.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center lowest Elizabeth City, NC · (252) 335-0531 Thoracentesis W/Img Guid | $1,702.00 | $3,404.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center Elizabeth City, NC · (252) 335-0531 Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,055.00 | $4,110.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,702.00, median $1,702.00, highest $1,702.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $1,702.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.