Thoracentesis cost in Lincoln, NE
In Lincoln, NE, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $539.50 to $798.56, with a median of $669.03. The lowest listed price is at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center — $129.53 less than the median here. Across Nebraska, the median is $630.87 at 16 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 Feb 28, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Lincoln, NE.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center lowest Lincoln, NE · (402) 219-7700 HC ASP PLEURA W/GUIDANCE | $539.50 | $1,079.00 | $205.46–$6,169.00 | 50% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center lowest Lincoln, NE · (402) 219-7700 HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGE GUIDE | $539.50 | $1,079.00 | $205.46–$6,169.00 | 50% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Nebraska Heart Hospital Lincoln, NE · (402) 328-3000 HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGME GMUIDE | $798.56 | $1,736.00 | $205.46–$6,043.00 | 54% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Nebraska Heart Hospital Lincoln, NE · (402) 328-3000 HC ASP PLEURA W/GMUIDANCE | $1,205.66 | $2,621.00 | $205.46–$6,043.00 | 54% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $539.50, median $669.03, highest $798.56 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $669.03. 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.