Paracentesis cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for paracentesis with imaging guidance: from $188.25 to $2,579.20, with a median of $1,495.63. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospitals East Communities and 1 other hospital — $1,307.38 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $539.73 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 cities for code 49083, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 12, 2026 and Jun 12, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities lowest Washington, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$213.35 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Elsberry, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$225.90 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Elsberry, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$225.90 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Elsberry, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$225.90 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Elsberry, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$225.90 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Elsberry, MO Abdom Paracentesis Dx/Ther W/Imaging Guidance | $188.25 | $251.00 | $100.40–$225.90 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Abd Paracentesis With Imag Guidance | $980.20 | $1,508.00 | $3,153.00–$6,631.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC PARACENTESIS W/IMAGING | $1,107.36 | $1,538.00 | $430.64–$2,429.86 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Abd Paracentesis With Imag Guidance | $1,228.50 | $1,890.00 | $3,199.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Abd Paracentesis With Imag Guidance | $1,340.30 | $2,062.00 | $134.03–$2,062.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 ABD PARACENTESIS W/IMAGING | $1,650.96 | $2,293.00 | $458.60–$2,293.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Abd Paracentesis With Imag Guidance | $1,755.00 | $2,700.00 | $3,897.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC PARACENTESIS W/IMAGING | $1,853.28 | $2,574.00 | $656.61–$2,574.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC PARACENTESIS W/IMAGING | $2,250.72 | $3,126.00 | $625.35–$3,126.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 IR-ABD PARACEN W IMG | $2,260.67 | $3,767.78 | $3,767.78 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Abd Paracentesis With Imag Guidance | $2,579.20 | $3,968.00 | $257.92–$3,968.00 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $188.25, median $1,495.63, highest $2,579.20 — a 13.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $1,650.96. 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 12 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 4 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.