Thoracentesis cost in Little Rock, AR
In Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, 12 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $152.02 to $2,909.00, with a median of $809.60. The lowest listed price is at Conway Regional Medical Center — $657.58 less than the median here. Across Arkansas, the median is $925.00 at 43 hospitals.
- The median here, $809.60, is 34% below the US median of $1,224.53.
- That is 1.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($640.89).
- 1 of 12 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 5 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 7, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Oct 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conway Regional Medical Center lowest Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 THORACENTESIS ND OR CATH W GDN File of Jul 2, 2026 · source file | $152.02 | $691.00 | $138.20–$691.00 | 78% |
| CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Little Rock, AR · (501) 552-3000 CT THORACENTESIS OR ASP W IMG File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $387.19 | $1,581.00 | $567.50–$2,332.00 | 76% |
| CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Little Rock, AR · (501) 552-3000 THORACENTESIS File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $408.25 | $1,667.00 | $567.50–$2,332.00 | 76% |
| CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Little Rock, AR · (501) 552-3000 CVS THORACENTESIS File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $429.07 | $1,752.00 | $567.50–$2,332.00 | 76% |
| Conway Regional Medical Center Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 CT THORACENTESIS+1 more line at this price File of Jul 2, 2026 · source file | $436.53 | $1,984.23 | $396.85–$1,984.23 | 78% |
| St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center Sherwood, AR · (501) 552-7100 THORACENTESIS W IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $436.78 | $1,752.00 | $567.50–$1,661.00 | 75% |
| Conway Regional Medical Center Conway, AR · (501) 329-3831 CT ABSC DR EMP PROC File of Jul 2, 2026 · source file | $502.01 | $2,281.86 | $456.37–$2,281.86 | 78% |
| UAMS Health Benton-Bryant Bryant, AR ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Oct 1, 2026 · source file | $750.00 | $1,250.00 | $250.00–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Jun 17, 2026 · source file | $750.00 | $1,250.00 | $250.00–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital-Encore Bryant, AR · (501) 213-4500 Aspirate Pleura w/Imaging 32555+2 more lines at this price File of Nov 21, 2025 · source file | $809.60 | $1,012.00 | $585.75–$1,656.00 | 20% |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 219-7000 32555-Thoracentesis w/ Imaging Guidance+2 more lines at this price File of Nov 21, 2025 · source file | $809.60 | $1,012.00 | $585.75–$1,656.00 | 20% |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences one side Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE+1 more line at this price File of Jun 17, 2026 · source file | $880.20 | $1,467.00 | $568.91–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| UAMS Health Benton-Bryant one side Bryant, AR ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE+1 more line at this price File of Oct 1, 2026 · source file | $880.20 | $1,467.00 | $568.91–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING File of Aug 13, 2026 · source file | $960.85 | $1,067.61 | $586.51–$1,067.61 | 10% |
| Baptist Health Medical Center - Little Rock Little Rock, AR · (501) 202-2000 32555 - THORACENTESIS NEEDLE-CATH PLEURA W-IMAGING File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,089.89 | $4,359.57 | $309.75–$10,533.00 | 75% |
| Baptist Health Medical Center - North Little Rock North Little Rock, AR · (501) 202-3000 32555 - THORACENTESIS NEEDLE-CATH PLEURA W-IMAGING File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,162.87 | $4,651.47 | $357.00–$10,533.00 | 75% |
| UAMS Health Benton-Bryant Bryant, AR ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING File of Oct 1, 2026 · source file | $1,192.20 | $1,987.00 | $250.00–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · (501) 686-5000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING File of Jun 17, 2026 · source file | $1,192.20 | $1,987.00 | $250.00–$1,306.00 | 40% |
| Baptist Health Medical Center - Conway Conway, AR · (501) 585-2000 32555 - THORACENTESIS NEEDLE-CATH PLEURA W-IMAGING File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,239.58 | $4,958.32 | $359.63–$10,533.00 | 75% |
| Cornerstone Hospital Little Rock Little Rock, AR US THORACENTESIS NEEDLE PLCMT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,909.00 | $2,909.00 | — | — |
| Cornerstone Hospital Little Rock Little Rock, AR THORACENTESIS NDL W IMAGING File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,964.00 | $2,964.00 | — | — |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Aug 13, 2026 · source file | $9,559.54 | $10,621.71 | $586.51–$1,477.50 | 10% |
| Arkansas Childrens Hospital one side Little Rock, AR · (501) 364-1100 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Aug 13, 2026 · source file | $17,027.40 | $18,919.33 | $586.51–$1,477.50 | 10% |
Outpatient: lowest $152.02, median $809.60, highest $2,909.00 — a 19.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $411.99. 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 11 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 it is 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 thoracentesis is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Thoracentesis explained.