Thoracentesis cost in Rochester, NY
In Rochester, NY, 8 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $180.08 to $2,204.22, with a median of $1,153.39. The lowest listed price is at Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital — $973.31 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $737.31 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Rochester, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital lowest Dansville, NY · (585) 335-6001 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $180.08 | $302.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $262.50 | $525.00 | $51.56–$1,465.98 | 50% | — source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY · (585) 396-6000 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $271.91 | $456.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 Aspirate pleura w/ imaging | $744.60 | — | $762.54–$1,551.09 | — | — source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 341-6711 Aspirate pleura w/ imaging | $744.60 | — | $743.06–$1,329.86 | — | — source file |
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital Dansville, NY · (585) 335-6001 Thoracentesis With Image | $914.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY · (585) 396-6000 Thoracentesis With Image | $1,016.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC THORACENTESIS_ ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_ WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $1,562.18 | $2,403.35 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W_ IMAGING | $1,562.18 | $2,403.35 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC THORACENTESIS_ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $1,562.18 | $2,403.35 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY · (315) 332-2022 HC THORACENTESIS_ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,053.14 | $3,158.68 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 922-4000 HC THORACENTESIS_ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,053.14 | $3,158.68 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 922-4000 HC THORACENTESIS_ ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_ WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,053.14 | $3,158.68 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY · (315) 332-2022 HC THORACENTESIS_ ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_ WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,053.14 | $3,158.68 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC THORACENTESIS_ NEEDLE_CATHETER_ ASPIRATION PLURAL SPACE_ W IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,204.22 | $2,755.28 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC THORACENTESIS_ ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_ WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,204.22 | $2,755.28 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W_ IMAGING | $2,204.22 | $2,755.28 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC THORACENTESIS_ASPIRATION OF PLEURAL SPACE_WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,204.22 | $2,755.28 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 Thoracentesis With Image | $2,544.05 | — | $361.35–$2,788.94 | — | — source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 341-6711 Thoracentesis With Image | $2,544.05 | — | $308.56–$2,408.00 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $180.08, median $1,153.39, highest $2,204.22 — a 12.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $1,562.18. 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 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.