Thoracentesis cost in Pittsburgh, PA
In Pittsburgh, PA, 25 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $709.80 to $4,057.20, with a median of $1,736.28. The lowest listed price is at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital — $1,026.48 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,474.38 at 102 hospitals.
- The median here, $1,736.28, is 42% above the US median of $1,224.53.
- That is 2.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($640.89).
- Pittsburgh, PA ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Pennsylvania by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 25 facilities across 17 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 10, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 17, 2025 and Oct 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong County Memorial Hospital lowest Kittanning, PA THORACENTESIS N/C ASP W GUIDE File of Mar 2, 2026 · source file | $709.80 | $2,366.00 | $611.01–$2,366.00 | 70% |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $721.00 | $1,442.00 | $97.57–$1,416.69 | 50% |
| Excela Health - Frick Hospital Mt Plesant, PA · (724) 547-1500 32555/THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING+3 more lines at this price File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $940.80 | $1,568.00 | $16.46–$337.60 | 40% |
| Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital Greeensburg, PA · (724) 832-4000 US THORACENTSIS W IMAGING+4 more lines at this price File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $940.80 | $1,568.00 | $85.00–$1,633.52 | 40% |
| Excela Health Latrobe Hospital Latrobe, PA · (724) 832-4000 US THORACENTSIS W IMAGING+4 more lines at this price File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $940.80 | $1,568.00 | $106.44–$1,633.52 | 40% |
| Butler Memorial Hospital Butler, PA US Guide Thoracentesis 32555+2 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $1,050.00 | $1,500.00 | $280.50–$1,575.00 | 30% |
| UPMC Washington one side Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 THORACENTESIS-RT+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $1,180.76 | $1,686.80 | $102.00–$1,214.50 | 30% |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $1,258.50 | $2,517.00 | $97.57–$1,416.69 | 50% |
| Uniontown Hospital one side Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE+1 more line at this price File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $1,258.50 | $2,517.00 | $171.55–$1,416.69 | 50% |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $1,316.40 | $2,194.00 | $410.84–$1,930.72 | 40% |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 SONO/THORACENTESIS File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $1,425.60 | $2,376.00 | $800.71–$1,853.28 | 40% |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital one side Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 US THORACENTESIS RT+7 more lines at this price File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $1,425.60 | $2,376.00 | $639.14–$2,911.79 | 40% |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 THORA W IMAG REMVE FLUID/DRAIN File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $1,425.60 | $2,376.00 | $639.14–$2,911.79 | 40% |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $1,513.80 | $2,523.00 | $407.56–$2,430.57 | 40% |
| Allegheny Valley Hospital Natrona Heights, PA · (412) 224-5100 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,714.02 | $2,226.00 | $87.85–$1,878.99 | 23% |
| Canonsburg General Hospital Canonsburg, PA · (724) 745-6100 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,736.28 | $2,226.00 | $87.85–$1,872.07 | 22% |
| Forbes Hospital Monroeville, PA · (412) 858-2000 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,736.28 | $2,226.00 | $87.85–$1,878.99 | 22% |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,738.26 | $2,349.00 | $123.78–$1,976.07 | 26% |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,805.29 | $2,473.00 | $123.78–$2,087.01 | 27% |
| Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 359-3131 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,879.48 | $2,473.00 | $87.85–$2,073.14 | 24% |
| Jefferson Regional Medical Center Jefferson Hills, PA · (412) 469-5000 HC ASP PLEURA W IMAGING File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $1,902.69 | $2,349.00 | $87.85–$1,948.33 | 19% |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $2,153.40 | $3,589.00 | $407.56–$2,871.20 | 40% |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC PORT THORACENTESIS W/GDE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $2,329.80 | $3,883.00 | $407.56–$3,572.36 | 40% |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $2,577.00 | $4,295.00 | $403.71–$3,865.50 | 40% |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $2,632.80 | $4,388.00 | $407.56–$3,729.80 | 40% |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $3,062.40 | $5,104.00 | $116.04–$4,593.60 | 40% |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 PORT THORACENTESIS W/GDE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $3,788.40 | $6,314.00 | $407.56–$5,366.90 | 40% |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC THORACENTESIS W GUIDANCE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 7, 2026 · source file | $4,057.20 | $6,762.00 | $407.56–$5,747.70 | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $709.80, median $1,736.28, highest $4,057.20 — a 5.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 26 facilities here, median $1,737.27. 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 24 of 25 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 thoracentesis is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Thoracentesis explained.