Surgery and procedures CPT 32555 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Thoracentesis cost in San Andreas, CA — inpatient

In San Andreas, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $177.16 to $177.16, with a median of $177.16. Across California, the median is $2,033.20 at 132 hospitals.

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

Lowest$177.16Mark Twain Medical Center
Median$177.16half pay less
Highest$177.16in this market
Difference1.0×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 San Andreas, CA.

median
Lowest $177.16Highest $2,882.45

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Mark Twain Medical Center one side lowest San Andreas, CA · (209) 754-3521 PF THORACENTSIS W IMAG LT $177.16 $266.00 $143.99–$260.68 33% Feb 28, 2026
source file
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas, CA · (209) 754-3521 THORACENTESIS W IMG UNI $2,882.45 $4,328.00 $2,342.75–$4,241.44 33% Feb 28, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $177.16, median $177.16, highest $177.16.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $177.16 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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.