Thoracentesis cost in Russellville, AL
In Russellville, AL, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $270.00 to $583.44, with a median of $426.72. The lowest listed price is at Red Bay Hospital — $156.72 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $1,113.20 at 30 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 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jul 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 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 Russellville, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bay Hospital lowest Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 CCD-OTH RESP PROC, INDIV | $270.00 | $270.00 | $70.20–$4,132.43 | — | — source file |
| Russellville Hospital Russellville, AL · (256) 332-1611 ASP PLEURA W IMAGE | $583.44 | $2,244.00 | $273.47–$1,346.40 | 74% | Jul 31, 2026 source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 CT-UNLISTED PROC LIVER | $889.00 | $889.00 | $231.14–$2,754.96 | — | — source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $2,345.00 | $2,345.00 | $609.70–$2,754.96 | — | — source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay, AL · (256) 356-9532 XR-THORACENTESIS | $2,345.00 | $2,345.00 | $609.70–$2,754.96 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $270.00, median $426.72, highest $583.44 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $426.72. 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.