Thoracentesis cost in Kansas City, MO
In Kansas City, MO-KS, 18 hospitals list a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $568.15 to $6,481.20, with a median of $901.30. The lowest listed price is at University Health Truman Medical Center and 1 other hospital — $333.15 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $847.68 at 57 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 10 cities for code 32555, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 17, 2026 and Sep 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 Kansas City, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Health Truman Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-1000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging WPR | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $165.62–$3,100.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Lakewood Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-7000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging WPR | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $263.42–$3,100.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Lakewood Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-7000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging WER | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $10.00–$1,033.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Lakewood Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-7000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging EER | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $10.00–$1,033.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| University Health Truman Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-1000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging EER | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $10.00–$1,033.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| University Health Truman Medical Center lowest Kansas City, MO · (816) 404-1000 32555 Aspirate Pleura w/ Imaging WER | $568.15 | $1,033.00 | $10.00–$1,033.00 | 45% | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Saint John Hospital Leavenworth, KS · (913) 680-6000 Hc Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Pleura Asp W Imag | $590.00 | $2,421.19 | $278.77–$2,058.01 | 76% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
| Providence Medical Center Kansas City, KS · (913) 596-4000 Hc Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Pleura Asp W Imag | $590.00 | $2,421.19 | $278.77–$2,237.18 | 76% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 942-4400 Aspirate Pleura W/ Imaging | $625.00 | $7,592.86 | $527.06–$7,592.86 | 92% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 942-4400 Hc Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Pleura Asp W Imag | $625.00 | $5,918.10 | $527.06–$7,592.86 | 89% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 US SP THORACENTESIS-INT OR SUB | $729.87 | $1,042.66 | $628.32–$886.26 | 30% | Apr 20, 2026 source file |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 ASPIR PLEURA W/IMG | $847.68 | $1,766.00 | $292.71–$1,589.40 | 52% | — source file |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 ASPIR PLEURA W/IMG | $847.68 | $1,766.00 | $292.71–$1,589.40 | 52% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 3E ASPIR PLEURA W/IMAGING | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 3S THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/C | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 7S ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMA | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 ICU ASPIRATE PLEURA W IMA | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 IR THORACENTESIS W/IMAGIN | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 ICU THORACENTESIS | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 6S ASPIRATE PLEURA W IMAG | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 2E ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAG | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 CT ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAG | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 US ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAG | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAGING | $859.00 | $3,080.00 | $859.32–$2,513.28 | 72% | — source file |
| Cass Regional Medical Center Harrisonville, MO · (816) 380-5888 Thoracentesis w/guidance 32555 | $943.60 | $1,348.00 | $175.24–$2,548.00 | 30% | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Cass Regional Medical Center Harrisonville, MO · (816) 380-5888 THORACENTESIS/GUIDANCE 32555 | $962.50 | $1,375.00 | $178.75–$1,332.38 | 30% | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAGING TX RM IR | $1,567.20 | $3,265.00 | $292.71–$2,938.50 | 52% | — source file |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAGING TX RM IR | $1,567.20 | $3,265.00 | $292.71–$2,938.50 | 52% | — source file |
| Rehabilitation Hospital of Overland Park Overland Park, KS Thoracentesis asp w/Imaging | $2,852.05 | $2,852.05 | $278.77–$2,566.85 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Lee's Summit Medical Center Lee's Summit, MO · (816) 282-5000 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG | $3,189.92 | $3,189.92 | $414.69–$2,711.43 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Research Psychiatric Center Kansas City, MO Thoracentesis, needle or catheter, aspiration of the pleural space; with imaging guidance | $5,929.89 | $5,929.89 | $3,158.00 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 276-4000 Thoracentesis, needle or catheter, aspiration of the pleural space; with imaging guidance | $5,929.89 | $5,929.89 | $2,255.00–$4,440.00 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 276-4000 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG | $5,929.89 | $5,929.89 | $770.89–$5,929.89 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Research Psychiatric Center Kansas City, MO THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG | $5,929.89 | $5,929.89 | $770.89–$5,929.89 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $6,134.21 | $6,134.21 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $6,134.21 | $6,134.21 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS · (913) 498-6000 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG | $6,202.98 | $6,202.98 | $806.39–$4,962.38 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS · (913) 498-6000 Thoracentesis, needle or catheter, aspiration of the pleural space; with imaging guidance | $6,202.98 | $6,202.98 | $3,158.00–$4,440.00 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centerpoint Medical Center Independence, MO · (816) 698-7000 THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG | $6,481.20 | $6,481.20 | $842.56–$5,833.08 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $568.15, median $901.30, highest $6,481.20 — a 11.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $853.34. 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 10 of 16 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.