Thoracentesis cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $476.32 to $4,462.90, with a median of $1,136.87. The lowest listed price is at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett — $660.55 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $1,366.08 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 11 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 Feb 28, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett lowest Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC PR ED 32555 THORACENTESIS/ASPIR W IMG GD CDM | $476.32 | $916.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $740.37 | $2,568.57 | $700.76–$4,556.00 | 71% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $781.23 | $2,568.57 | $700.76–$4,556.00 | 70% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $784.33 | $2,568.57 | $688.15–$4,556.00 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $806.08 | $2,568.57 | $688.15–$4,556.00 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $850.71 | $2,568.57 | $700.76–$4,556.00 | 67% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association Enumclaw, WA HC THORACENTESIS/ASP WITH IMAG | $907.65 | $2,568.57 | $436.66–$4,556.00 | 65% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,366.08 | $2,846.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING - FAC | $1,386.18 | $2,718.00 | $1,630.80–$2,174.40 | 49% | — source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 ED - ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $1,386.18 | $2,718.00 | $1,630.80–$2,174.40 | 49% | — source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,529.84 | $2,942.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $1,529.84 | $2,942.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $1,551.00 | $3,102.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 "IVR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE, OR CATH W/IMAGING GUIDANCE" | $2,240.00 | $2,800.00 | $619.00–$1,376.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC THORACENTESIS W/IMAGING GUIDE | $2,306.40 | $2,883.00 | $618.26–$2,594.70 | 20% | — source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $2,440.00 | $3,050.00 | $244.00–$2,745.00 | 20% | — source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC US THORACENTESIS | $2,503.68 | $5,216.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Thoracentesi | $4,462.90 | $4,462.90 | $1,829.79–$4,284.38 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $476.32, median $1,136.87, highest $4,462.90 — a 9.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $1,146.92. 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 8 of 10 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.