Thoracentesis cost in Toledo, OH
In Toledo, OH, 6 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $423.00 to $1,994.40, with a median of $1,349.75. The lowest listed price is at Nationwide Children's Hospital Toledo — $926.75 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,825.53 at 94 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 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 Toledo, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Toledo lowest Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $423.00 | $705.00 | $66.71–$400.57 | 40% | — source file |
| Fulton County Health Center Wauseon, OH · (419) 335-2015 Thoracentesis w/ Guidance | $838.94 | $1,198.49 | — | 30% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wood County Hospital Association Bowling Green, OH · (419) 354-8900 THORACENTESIS WITH IMG GUIDANCE | $1,184.50 | $1,184.50 | $923.91–$1,148.97 | — | — source file |
| Wood County Hospital Association Bowling Green, OH · (419) 354-8900 THORACENTESIS PUNCTURE OF PLEURAL CAVITY FOR ASPIRATION , INITIAL OR SUBSEQUENT | $1,466.75 | $1,466.75 | $1,144.07–$1,422.75 | — | — source file |
| Wood County Hospital Association Bowling Green, OH · (419) 354-8900 THORACENTESIS PUNCTURE OF PLEURAL CAVITY FOR ASPITATION, INITIAL OR SUBSQUENT | $1,497.25 | $1,497.25 | $1,167.86–$1,452.33 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Oregon, OH HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,515.00 | $2,525.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,609.80 | $2,683.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,737.60 | $2,896.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Toledo Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 HC ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $1,851.60 | $3,086.00 | $771.50–$2,376.22 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,994.40 | $3,324.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Toledo, OH · (419) 251-3232 HC Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $1,994.40 | $3,324.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health St Vincent Medical Center Perrysburg, OH HC Sp Thora for Aspiration | $1,994.40 | $3,324.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $423.00, median $1,349.75, highest $1,994.40 — a 4.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,895.70. 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 0 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.