Thoracentesis cost in Worcester, MA
In Worcester, MA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $2,209.00 to $2,575.00, with a median of $2,516.00. The lowest listed price is at HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital — $307.00 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $1,645.70 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 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 Mar 26, 2026 and Apr 3, 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 Worcester, MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital lowest Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Asp W/Imaging | $2,209.00 | $2,209.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 HC Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Asp W/Imaging | $2,516.00 | $2,516.00 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Asp W/Imaging | $2,575.00 | $2,575.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Asp W/Imaging | $5,678.00 | $5,678.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,209.00, median $2,516.00, highest $2,575.00 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $2,516.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.