Thoracentesis cost in San Antonio, TX
In San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $412.50 to $1,225.95, with a median of $819.23. The lowest listed price is at University Health System — $406.73 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $1,325.03 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 24, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 14, 2025 and Jan 13, 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Health System lowest San Antonio, TX · (210) 358-2000 HC PBB THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $412.50 | $1,650.00 | $223.75–$4,125.00 | 75% | Oct 14, 2025 source file |
| University Health System lowest San Antonio, TX · (210) 358-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $412.50 | $1,650.00 | $223.75–$4,125.00 | 75% | Oct 14, 2025 source file |
| Santa Rosa Hospital - Westover Hills San Antonio, TX HC 32555 THORACENTESIS NDL/CATH,ASP PLRL SP; W/IMG GUIDE | $1,225.95 | $3,715.00 | $172.16–$4,308.00 | 67% | Jan 13, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $412.50, median $819.23, highest $1,225.95 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $412.50. 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.