Surgery and procedures CPT 32555 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Thoracentesis cost in Grand Forks, ND — inpatient

In Grand Forks, ND-MN, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $1,361.52 to $1,361.52, with a median of $1,361.52. Across North Dakota, the median is $894.17 at 16 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 1, 2026 and Mar 1, 2026.

Lowest$1,361.52Altru Hospital
Median$1,361.52half pay less
Highest$1,361.52in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Grand Forks, ND-MN.

median
Lowest $1,361.52Highest $1,817.19

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Altru Hospital lowest Grand Forks, ND · (701) 780-5000 HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAGING $1,361.52 $2,232.00 — 39% Mar 1, 2026
source file
Altru Hospital Grand Forks, ND · (701) 780-5000 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING $1,817.19 $2,979.00 — 39% Mar 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $1,361.52, median $1,361.52, highest $1,361.52.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,327.02 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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.