Thoracentesis cost in Tampa, FL
In Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,105.65 to $3,266.52, with a median of $2,526.83. The lowest listed price is at Tampa General Hospital — $1,421.18 less than the median here. Across Florida, the median is $2,001.98 at 70 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa General Hospital lowest Tampa, FL · (813) 844-7000 Hb 32555 Aspirate Pleura W Imaging | $1,105.65 | $3,159.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Hospital Tampa, FL THORACENTESIS NEEDLE OR CATHETER ASPIRATION OF THE PLEURAL SPACE WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE | $1,249.00 | $2,498.00 | $472.12–$2,498.00 | 50% | — source file |
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Hospital one side Tampa, FL THORACENTESIS NEEDLE OR CATHETER ASPIRATION OF THE PLEURAL SPACE WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE RT | $1,249.00 | $2,498.00 | $472.12–$2,498.00 | 50% | — source file |
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Hospital one side Tampa, FL THORACENTESIS NEEDLE OR CATHETER ASPIRATION OF THE PLEURAL SPACE WITH IMAGING GUIDANCE LT | $1,249.00 | $2,498.00 | $472.12–$2,498.00 | 50% | — source file |
| AdventHealth Tampa Tampa, FL · (813) 615-7200 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,473.38 | $1,473.38 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Riverview Riverview, FL · (813) 929-5962 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $1,473.38 | $1,473.38 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Dade City Dade City, FL · (352) 568-1100 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,145.61 | $2,145.61 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tampa General Hospital Tampa, FL · (813) 844-7000 Hb Thoracentesis | $2,164.75 | $6,185.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth North Pinellas Tarpon Springs, FL · (813) 615-7219 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,514.00 | $2,514.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Carrollwood Tampa, FL · (813) 615-7219 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,539.66 | $2,539.66 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Zephyrhills Zephyrhills, FL · (813) 615-7219 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,539.66 | $2,539.66 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel, FL · (813) 929-5000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,539.66 | $2,539.66 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital Wesley Chapel, FL Hb Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $3,112.00 | $7,780.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital Saint Petersburg, FL · (727) 823-1234 Hb Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $3,112.00 | $7,780.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Connerton Land O Lakes, FL HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $3,266.52 | $3,266.52 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital both sides Wesley Chapel, FL Hb Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging Bilateral | $3,890.40 | $9,726.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital both sides Saint Petersburg, FL · (727) 823-1234 Hb Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging Bilateral | $3,890.40 | $9,726.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,105.65, median $2,526.83, highest $3,266.52 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $3,890.40, median $3,890.40, highest $3,890.40.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $2,526.83. 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 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.