Surgery and procedures CPT 32555 Outpatient

Thoracentesis cost in Valdez, AK

In Valdez, AK, 1 hospital lists a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $1,881.36 to $1,881.36, with a median of $1,881.36. Across Alaska, the median is $2,541.24 at 9 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$1,881.36City of Valdez
Median$1,881.36half pay less
Highest$1,881.36in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
City of Valdez Valdez, AK HC ED THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING CDM $1,881.36 $2,412.00 — 22% Apr 1, 2026
source file

Outpatient: lowest $1,881.36, median $1,881.36, highest $1,881.36.

As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $1,881.36. 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.