Thoracentesis cost in Helena, MT
In Helena, MT, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $864.31 to $864.31, with a median of $864.31. Across Montana, the median is $447.99 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 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 Helena, MT.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peter's Health lowest Helena, MT · (406) 442-2480 OPERATING ROOM SERVICES - MINOR SURGERY | $864.31 | $1,016.84 | $662.16 | 15% | — source file |
| St. Peter's Health one side Helena, MT · (406) 442-2480 HC THORACENTESIS/ASPIRATION WITH IMAGING UNILATERAL | $951.92 | $1,119.90 | $122.69 | 15% | — source file |
| St. Peter's Health both sides Helena, MT · (406) 442-2480 HC THORACENTESIS/ASPIRATION WITH IMAGING BILATERAL | $1,009.69 | $1,187.87 | $618.26 | 15% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $864.31, median $864.31, highest $864.31.
Both sides : lowest $1,009.69, median $1,009.69, highest $1,009.69.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $951.92. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.