Thoracentesis cost in Los Angeles, CA — inpatient
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 24 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $632.16 to $5,329.54, with a median of $2,033.20. The lowest listed price is at St Jude Hospital — $1,401.04 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $2,033.20 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 24 facilities across 19 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 26, 2025 and Jul 27, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Jude Hospital lowest Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $632.16 | $1,317.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital lowest Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $632.16 | $1,317.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Tarzana, CA · (818) 881-0800 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $745.85 | $2,131.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Tarzana, CA · (818) 881-0800 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $745.85 | $2,131.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Co of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA · (310) 832-3311 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $834.05 | $2,383.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance, CA · (310) 540-7676 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $834.05 | $2,383.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance, CA · (310) 540-7676 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $834.05 | $2,383.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Co of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA · (310) 832-3311 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $834.05 | $2,383.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health-Orange Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HB THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,240.40 | $3,101.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA · (818) 365-8051 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,246.70 | $3,562.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA · (818) 365-8051 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $1,246.70 | $3,562.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Arcadia Hospital Arcadia, CA · (626) 898-8000 THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING | $1,616.30 | $4,618.00 | $3,463.50–$4,618.00 | 65% | Jul 27, 2026 source file |
| USC Arcadia Hospital Arcadia, CA · (626) 898-8000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE W/IMAGING | $1,616.30 | $4,618.00 | $3,463.50–$4,618.00 | 65% | Jul 27, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,684.80 | $3,510.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $1,684.80 | $3,510.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica, CA · (310) 829-5511 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $1,992.90 | $5,694.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica, CA · (310) 829-5511 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,992.90 | $5,694.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · (323) 783-4011 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Woodland Hills Woodland Hills, CA · (818) 719-3800 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Irvine Irvine, CA THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Panorama City Panorama City, CA · (818) 375-2000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey Downey, CA · (562) 461-6007 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Anaheim Anaheim, CA · (714) 279-4000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South Bay Harbor City, CA · (310) 325-5111 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Baldwin Park, CA · (626) 851-1011 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West la Los Angeles, CA · (213) 857-2201 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,033.20 | $3,910.00 | $613.00–$1,824.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 HB THORACENTESIS W IMG | $2,330.62 | $3,585.57 | $769.85–$9,712.00 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,950.08 | $6,146.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,950.08 | $6,146.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Burbank, CA · (818) 843-5111 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $3,179.75 | $9,085.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Burbank, CA · (818) 843-5111 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $3,179.75 | $9,085.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital Los Angeles, CA Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $3,786.25 | $3,786.25 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles, CA · (323) 442-8656 Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $4,738.75 | $4,738.75 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 HB THORACENTESIS W IMG | $5,329.54 | $8,199.29 | $769.85–$14,761.00 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $632.16, median $2,033.20, highest $5,329.54 — a 8.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 27 facilities here, median $2,033.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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 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.