Thoracentesis cost in El Paso, TX
In El Paso, TX, 3 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $190.26 to $220.80, with a median of $190.26. The lowest listed price is at University Medical Center El Paso and 1 other hospital. Across Texas, the median is $1,325.03 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 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 — 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 El Paso, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Medical Center El Paso lowest El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 EDN THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $190.26 | $951.30 | $101.60–$684.94 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso lowest El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 EDE THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $190.26 | $951.30 | $101.60–$684.94 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital lowest Dieter El Paso, TX EDN THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $190.26 | $951.30 | $101.60–$684.94 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital lowest Dieter El Paso, TX EDE THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $190.26 | $951.30 | $101.60–$684.94 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso lowest El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 ENDO THORA W/IMAGING GUID | $190.26 | $951.30 | $503.24–$599.32 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso lowest El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 MED THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $190.26 | $951.30 | $503.24–$599.32 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital lowest Dieter El Paso, TX ENDO THORA W/IMAGING GUID | $190.26 | $951.30 | $503.24–$599.32 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital lowest Dieter El Paso, TX MED THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $190.26 | $951.30 | $503.24–$599.32 | 80% | — source file |
| El Paso Children's Hospital El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7148 THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $220.80 | $1,104.00 | $220.80–$1,013.48 | 80% | — source file |
| El Paso Children's Hospital El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7148 ICN THORACENTESIS W/IMGN GUID | $220.80 | $1,104.00 | $220.80–$1,013.48 | 80% | — source file |
| El Paso Children's Hospital El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7148 IMN THORACENTESIS W/IMG | $220.80 | $1,104.00 | $220.80–$1,013.48 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital Dieter El Paso, TX CCI THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $1,271.52–$4,543.00 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUIDE | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $1,067.67–$1,271.52 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 CCI THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $1,271.52–$4,543.00 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center El Paso El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7602 ER THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $101.60–$1,453.16 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital Dieter El Paso, TX THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUIDE | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $1,067.67–$1,271.52 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital Dieter El Paso, TX SH CCI THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $101.60–$1,453.16 | 80% | — source file |
| University Medical Center Surgical Hospital Dieter El Paso, TX ER THORACENT W/IMAGING GUI | $403.66 | $2,018.28 | $101.60–$1,453.16 | 80% | — source file |
| El Paso Children's Hospital El Paso, TX · (915) 521-7148 CCI THORACENTESIS W/IMAGE GUID | $714.80 | $3,574.00 | $389.80–$2,859.20 | 80% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $190.26, median $190.26, highest $220.80 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $190.26. 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.