Paracentesis cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for paracentesis with imaging guidance as an inpatient: from $434.26 to $1,449.70, with a median of $770.85. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center Brighton — $336.59 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $1,311.35 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 49083, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center Brighton lowest Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $434.26 | $965.03 | $475.07–$1,929.98 | 55% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W Imaging Guidance | $531.30 | $759.00 | $265.65–$1,757.92 | 30% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Abd Paracentesis Dx W Guid | $579.00 | $579.00 | $85.70–$1,139.70 | — | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $770.85 | $1,713.00 | $431.24–$2,588.52 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $866.04 | $1,924.54 | $394.86–$1,857.83 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W Imaging Guidance | $1,082.20 | $1,546.00 | $405.98–$2,391.27 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W Imaging Guidance | $1,449.70 | $2,071.00 | $530.75–$2,642.58 | 30% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $434.26, median $770.85, highest $1,449.70 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $770.85 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 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
Paracentesis removes fluid from the abdomen with a needle, using ultrasound to guide it.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure and guidance. Lab tests and albumin infusion are billed separately.