Thoracentesis cost in Santa Rosa, CA
In Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $2,134.86 to $3,436.89, with a median of $2,275.31. The lowest listed price is at Petaluma Valley Hospital — $140.45 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $2,033.20 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petaluma Valley Hospital lowest Petaluma, CA · (707) 778-1111 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,134.86 | $4,186.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Petaluma Valley Hospital lowest Petaluma, CA · (707) 778-1111 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,134.86 | $4,186.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA · (707) 431-6500 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,204.22 | $4,322.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA · (707) 431-6500 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,204.22 | $4,322.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA · (707) 431-6500 HC CT THORACENTESIS | $2,204.22 | $4,322.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, CA · (707) 571-4000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,346.40 | $4,190.00 | $747.00–$2,339.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Santa Rosa, CA · (707) 525-5300 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $3,436.89 | $6,739.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Santa Rosa, CA · (707) 525-5300 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $3,991.26 | $7,826.00 | — | 49% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,134.86, median $2,275.31, highest $3,436.89 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $2,275.31. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.