Thoracentesis cost in Huntsville, AL
In Huntsville, AL, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,598.47 to $1,603.50, with a median of $1,600.99. The lowest listed price is at Crestwood Medical Center — $2.52 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $3,129.16 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities 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 Jan 1, 2026 and Jan 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 Huntsville, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crestwood Medical Center lowest Huntsville, AL · (256) 429-4000 US-THORACNTSIS W IMG | $1,598.47 | $8,880.38 | $265.94–$7,548.32 | 82% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Huntsville Hospital Huntsville, AL · (256) 265-1000 BLLN,BAKRI POSTPARTUM 24FR | $1,603.50 | $1,603.50 | $721.58–$2,241.78 | — | — source file |
| Crestwood Medical Center Huntsville, AL · (256) 429-4000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $2,272.80 | $12,626.64 | $265.94–$10,732.64 | 82% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Huntsville Hospital Huntsville, AL · (256) 265-1000 XR-THORACENTESIS | $2,345.00 | $2,345.00 | $571.94–$9,688.28 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,598.47, median $1,600.99, highest $1,603.50.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,734.19. 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 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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.