Surgery and procedures CPT 32555 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Thoracentesis cost in Harrisburg, PA — inpatient

In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $282.00 to $1,331.49, with a median of $960.14. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Carlisle and 1 other hospital — $678.14 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,425.60 at 65 hospitals.

Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$282.00UPMC Carlisle + 1 more
Median$960.14half pay less
Highest$1,331.49in this market
Difference4.7×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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.

median
Lowest $282.00Highest $2,304.60

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
UPMC Carlisle lowest Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID MD $282.00 $470.00 $191.76–$399.50 40% —
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UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals lowest Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID MD $282.00 $470.00 $305.50–$399.50 40% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 32555 Thoracentesis Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 32555 IR Thoracentesis w/ Image Guidance Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 THORACENTESIS WITH GUIDAN Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 32555 CT Thoracentesis w/ CT Guidance Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 32555 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 32555 US Thoracentesis Tech $960.14 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 76% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 32555 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 32555 CT Thoracentesis w/ CT Guidance Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 THORACENTESIS WITH GUIDAN Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 32555 IR Thoracentesis w/ Image Guidance Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 32555 Thoracentesis Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 32555 US Thoracentesis Tech $1,264.78 $4,019.00 $521.13–$3,215.20 69% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 CT Thoracentesis w/ CT Guidance - Report $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 THORACENTESIS WITH GUIDAN $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 PS CT Thoracentesis w/ CT Guidance - Report $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 IR Thoracentesis w/ Tube Insert - Report $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 US 32555 Thoracentesis POC $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 32555 Thoracentesis With Imaging Guidance $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 US Thoracentesis - Report $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 PS US Thoracentesis - Report $1,331.49 $4,019.00 $565.51–$3,577.84 67% —
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UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID $2,304.60 $3,841.00 $1,567.13–$3,264.85 40% —
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UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID $2,304.60 $3,841.00 $2,496.65–$3,264.85 40% —
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Inpatient: lowest $282.00, median $960.14, highest $1,331.49 — a 4.7× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $960.14 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.