Thoracentesis cost in Nashville, TN — inpatient
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $508.95 to $947.70, with a median of $728.33. The lowest listed price is at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital — $219.38 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $487.08 at 40 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital lowest Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $508.95 | $1,755.00 | $71.51–$1,755.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $947.70 | $1,755.00 | $71.51–$1,755.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $1,222.06 | $4,214.00 | $300.92–$3,371.20 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUID | $2,275.56 | $4,214.00 | $579.28–$3,834.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $508.95, median $728.33, highest $947.70 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $633.65 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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.