Surgery and procedures CPT 32555 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Thoracentesis cost in Victoria, TX — inpatient

In Victoria, TX, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $945.00 to $3,904.50, with a median of $2,424.75. The lowest listed price is at Citizens Medical Center County of Victoria — $1,479.75 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $1,423.68 at 190 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 32555, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 28, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 27, 2026.

Lowest$945.00Citizens Medical Center County of Victoria
Median$2,424.75half pay less
Highest$3,904.50in this market
Difference4.1×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Victoria, TX.

median
Lowest $945.00Highest $4,560.90

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Citizens Medical Center County of Victoria lowest Victoria, TX · (361) 573-9181 Image Guided Thoracentesis $945.00 $1,890.00 $699.30–$1,890.00 50% Jul 27, 2026
source file
Citizens Medical Center County of Victoria lowest Victoria, TX · (361) 573-9181 Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging $945.00 $1,890.00 $699.30–$1,890.00 50% Jul 27, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 IR-THORACNTSIS W IMG $3,904.50 $13,015.00 $1,171.35–$10,412.00 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 US-THORACNTSIS W IMG $3,904.50 $13,015.00 $1,171.35–$10,412.00 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 IR-THORACNTSIS W IMG $3,904.50 $13,015.00 $1,171.35–$10,412.00 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 US-THORACNTSIS W IMG $3,904.50 $13,015.00 $1,171.35–$10,412.00 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 CT-THORACNTSIS W IMG $4,560.90 $15,203.00 $1,368.27–$12,162.40 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Victoria of Texas Victoria, TX · (361) 575-7441 CT-THORACNTSIS W IMG $4,560.90 $15,203.00 $1,368.27–$12,162.40 70% Apr 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $945.00, median $2,424.75, highest $3,904.50 — a 4.1× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,839.08 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 2 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.