Thoracentesis cost in Myrtle Beach, SC — inpatient
In Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, 4 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $233.60 to $1,001.10, with a median of $1,001.10. The lowest listed price is at Conway Medical Center — $767.50 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $1,067.80 at 28 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conway Medical Center lowest Conway, SC · (843) 347-8037 Report | $233.60 | $233.60 | $46.72–$168.19 | — | — source file |
| Conway Medical Center Conway, SC · (843) 347-8037 US Thoracentesis | $776.00 | $776.00 | $155.20–$558.72 | — | — source file |
| McLeod Health E Little River, SC HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,001.10 | $1,410.00 | $1,128.00–$2,601.10 | 29% | — source file |
| McLeod Health Myrtle Beach, SC HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,001.10 | $1,410.00 | $1,128.00–$2,601.10 | 29% | — source file |
| McLeod Health Loris, SC · (843) 716-7000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,001.10 | $1,410.00 | $1,128.00–$2,601.10 | 29% | — source file |
| Conway Medical Center Conway, SC · (843) 347-8037 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAGINE GUID | $1,762.00 | $1,762.00 | $352.40–$1,268.64 | — | — source file |
| Conway Medical Center Conway, SC · (843) 347-8037 Thoracentesis Aspiration with Guidance | $1,763.00 | $1,763.00 | $352.60–$1,269.36 | — | — source file |
| Conway Medical Center Conway, SC · (843) 347-8037 US Guide Chest Tube Insertion | $2,082.00 | $2,082.00 | $416.40–$1,499.04 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $233.60, median $1,001.10, highest $1,001.10 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,001.10 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 4 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.