Thoracentesis cost in Lima, OH
In Lima, OH, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $678.60 to $2,767.20, with a median of $1,722.90. The lowest listed price is at Lima Memorial Health System — $1,044.30 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,825.53 at 94 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Lima, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima Memorial Health System lowest Lima, OH · (419) 998-4731 Aspirate Pleura W Imaging | $678.60 | $754.00 | — | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lima Memorial Health System Lima, OH · (419) 998-4731 Aspriate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,867.50 | $2,075.00 | — | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lima Memorial Health System Lima, OH · (419) 998-4731 Thoracentesis W/Image Guidance | $1,867.50 | $2,075.00 | — | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health St Ritas Medical Center Lima, OH · (419) 227-3361 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $2,767.20 | $4,612.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Ritas Medical Center Lima, OH · (419) 227-3361 HC Sp Thora for Aspiration | $3,255.00 | $5,425.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Ritas Medical Center Lima, OH · (419) 227-3361 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $3,906.00 | $6,510.00 | $621.93 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $678.60, median $1,722.90, highest $2,767.20 — a 4.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,722.90. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.