Thoracentesis cost in Mount Vernon, WA
In Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,567.80 to $2,924.00, with a median of $2,245.90. The lowest listed price is at PeaceHealth United General Medical Center — $678.10 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $1,366.08 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities 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 — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeaceHealth United General Medical Center lowest Sedro Woolley, WA · (360) 856-6021 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $1,567.80 | $2,412.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| PeaceHealth United General Medical Center Sedro Woolley, WA · (360) 856-6021 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,387.45 | $3,673.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Skagit Valley Hospital Mount Vernon, WA HC CT ASP PLEURA | $2,924.00 | $3,655.00 | $618.26–$3,472.25 | 20% | — source file |
| Skagit Valley Hospital Mount Vernon, WA HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $2,924.00 | $3,655.00 | $618.26–$3,472.25 | 20% | — source file |
| Skagit Valley Hospital Mount Vernon, WA HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUIDE | $2,924.00 | $3,655.00 | $618.26–$3,472.25 | 20% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,567.80, median $2,245.90, highest $2,924.00 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $2,924.00. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.