Thoracentesis cost in Wausau, WI
In Wausau, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $505.40 to $1,615.90, with a median of $1,060.65. The lowest listed price is at Marshfield Medical Center - Weston — $555.25 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $1,150.00 at 78 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 24, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 20, 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 Wausau, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshfield Medical Center - Weston lowest Weston, WI · (715) 393-3000 THORAC,NDL/CATH;W/IMAG GUID-TECH | $505.40 | $532.00 | $266.00–$622.28 | 5% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Marshfield Medical Center - Weston Weston, WI · (715) 393-3000 THOR NDL/CATH ASP PLEU W/IMG-TECH | $778.05 | $819.00 | $450.45–$3,163.00 | 5% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Wausau Hospital Wausau, WI · (715) 847-2000 US Thoracentesis for Aspiration Only | $1,615.90 | $2,486.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Wausau Hospital Wausau, WI · (715) 847-2000 THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $2,459.60 | $3,784.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Wausau Hospital Wausau, WI · (715) 847-2000 Pro Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $2,459.60 | $3,784.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Wausau Hospital both sides Wausau, WI · (715) 847-2000 US Thoracentesis for Aspiration Only|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $2,423.85 | $3,729.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Wausau Hospital both sides Wausau, WI · (715) 847-2000 Pro Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $3,689.40 | $5,676.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $505.40, median $1,060.65, highest $1,615.90 — a 3.2× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $2,423.85, median $2,423.85, highest $2,423.85.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,060.65. 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.