Thoracentesis cost in Lancaster, PA — inpatient
In Lancaster, PA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $282.00 to $2,615.20, with a median of $1,165.11. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Lititz — $883.11 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,425.60 at 65 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 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 Lancaster, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Lititz lowest Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID MD | $282.00 | $470.00 | $174.37–$399.50 | 40% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 US Thoracentesis Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 Thoracentesis Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 IR Thoracentesis w/ Tube Insert Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 IR Thoracentesis w/ Image Guidance Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 CT Thoracentesis w/ CT Guidance Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 32555 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 THORACENTESIS WITH GUIDAN Tech | $1,165.11 | $4,019.00 | $523.22–$3,215.20 | 71% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $2,304.60 | $3,841.00 | $1,425.01–$3,264.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata, PA · (717) 733-0311 Aspiration of Fluid From Chest Cavity Using Imaging Guidance | $2,615.20 | $3,269.00 | $2,086.28–$2,615.20 | 20% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $282.00, median $1,165.11, highest $2,615.20 — a 9.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $1,165.11 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 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.