Thoracentesis cost in Hilton Head Island, SC — inpatient
In Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $840.00 to $840.00, with a median of $840.00. Across South Carolina, the median is $1,486.25 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 THORACENTESIS FOR ASP | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 THORACENTESIS FOR ASPIRATION R | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 THORACENTESIS FOR ASPIRATION L | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 DRAINAGE OF CHEST | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 DRAINAGE CHEST | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital lowest Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 THORACENTESIS W TUBE INSERT | $840.00 | $1,400.00 | $422.80–$1,148.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital both sides Beaufort, SC · (843) 522-5200 US THORACENTESIS BI CMP | $1,582.80 | $2,638.00 | $796.68–$2,163.16 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $840.00, median $840.00, highest $840.00.
Both sides : lowest $1,582.80, median $1,582.80, highest $1,582.80.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $840.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is 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.