Thoracentesis cost in Syracuse, NY
In Syracuse, NY, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $227.00 to $970.00, with a median of $598.50. The lowest listed price is at St Josephs Hospital Health Center — $371.50 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $737.31 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Mar 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 Syracuse, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Josephs Hospital Health Center lowest Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | $8.69–$227.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Crouse Hospital Syracuse, NY · (315) 470-7449 32555 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING_0 | $970.00 | $970.00 | — | — | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Health Center one side Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Lt | $1,725.75 | $2,655.00 | $676.48–$3,840.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Health Center one side Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Rt | $1,725.75 | $2,655.00 | $676.48–$3,840.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Health Center one side Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Rt | $1,763.31 | — | $3.95–$3,840.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Health Center Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Bl | $2,588.30 | $3,982.00 | $676.48–$3,982.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $227.00, median $598.50, highest $970.00 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $598.00. 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.