Thoracentesis cost in Eureka, CA
In Eureka-Arcata, CA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $4,137.63 to $5,978.73, with a median of $5,058.18. The lowest listed price is at Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital — $920.55 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $2,033.20 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 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 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 Eureka-Arcata, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital lowest Fortuna, CA · (707) 445-8121 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $4,137.63 | $8,113.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital lowest Fortuna, CA · (707) 445-8121 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $4,137.63 | $8,113.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Joseph Hospital Eureka, CA · (707) 445-8121 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $5,978.73 | $11,723.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Joseph Hospital Eureka, CA · (707) 445-8121 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $5,978.73 | $11,723.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $4,137.63, median $5,058.18, highest $5,978.73 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $5,058.18. 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.