Thoracentesis cost in Memphis, TN
In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, 12 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $136.50 to $733.44, with a median of $495.88. The lowest listed price is at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden — $359.38 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $487.08 at 40 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 7 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 27, 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden lowest West Memphis, AR · (870) 394-7800 HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $136.50 | $910.00 | $68.01–$1,847.00 | 85% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis, TN · (901) 226-5000 HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | $236.60–$1,847.00 | 79% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis, TN HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | $236.60–$1,134.30 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville, TN HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | $236.60–$1,134.30 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden West Memphis, AR · (870) 394-7800 HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $458.40 | $3,056.00 | $250.00–$4,722.27 | 85% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Methodist South Hospital Memphis, TN HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | $250.00–$1,456.00 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp Memphis, TN HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Germantown Hosp Germantown, TN HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | $250.00–$1,456.00 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist University Hospital Memphis, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist North Hospital Memphis, TN HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $505.12 | $2,296.00 | $244.68–$1,181.90 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Olive Branch Hospital Olive Branch, MS · (662) 932-9000 HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $505.12 | $2,296.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Southaven, MS · (662) 772-4000 HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $611.20 | $3,056.00 | $495.20–$4,722.27 | 80% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis, TN HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $641.76 | $3,056.00 | $537.83–$4,722.27 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis, TN · (901) 226-5000 HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $641.76 | $3,056.00 | $495.20–$4,722.27 | 79% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville, TN HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $641.76 | $3,056.00 | $537.83–$4,722.27 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington, TN · (901) 476-2621 HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $733.44 | $3,056.00 | $492.54–$2,859.69 | 76% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $136.50, median $495.88, highest $733.44 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $495.88. 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 9 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.