Thoracentesis cost in Iowa
In Iowa, 31 hospitals publish a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $227.00 to $2,174.90, with a median of $766.40. The lowest price is at Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa (West Des Moines) and 3 other hospitals. The highest price is 9.6× the lowest.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 32555. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Sep 23, 2026.
Lowest$227.00Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa + 3 more
Median$766.40half pay less
Highest$2,174.90in Iowa
Lowest saves$539.40vs the median
Hospitals in Iowa, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa lowest West Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center lowest Clinton · Clinton, IA PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center lowest Mason City · Mason City, IA PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center lowest Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $227.00 | $227.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake · Storm Lake, IA PR ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $324.80 | $406.00 | — source file |
| Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa Corning · Corning, IA HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGE GUIDE | $341.76 | $712.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health Community Memorial Hospital of Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri Valley · Omaha, NE-IA HC THORACENTESIS W IMAGE GUIDE | $348.88 | $712.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Cath Aspiration W Imaging Guidance | $353.00 | $353.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA Thoracentesis needle/catheter asp of pleural space | $558.90 | $1,863.00 | Feb 15, 2026 source file |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA HC ASP PLEURA W/GUIDANCE | $600.60 | $1,430.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center one side Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL PULM Thoracentesis, Right | $639.60 | $1,066.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - New Hampton one side New Hampton · New Hampton, IA HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Rt (Rest Meth II CAH) | $661.05 | $1,017.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center one side Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL PULM Thoracentesis, Right | $739.20 | $1,232.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center one side Dewitt · Clinton, IA PULM Thoracentesis, Left | $739.20 | $1,232.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell · Grinnell, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Methodist Hospital Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Luke'sJones Regional Medical Center Anamosa · Cedar Rapids, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital Dubuque · Dubuque, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Medical Center Bettendorf · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge · Fort Dodge, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Unity Healthcare Muscatine · Muscatine, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health Marshalltown Marshalltown · Marshalltown, IA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $766.40 | $958.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Winneshiek Medical Center Decorah · Decorah, IA Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $962.50 | $1,375.00 | Jul 17, 2026 source file |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinic West Union · West Union, IA HCHG 32555 THORACENTESIS,ASP PLEURAL SPACE;W/IMAG GUID | $1,024.65 | $1,725.00 | Jun 27, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Lt | $1,165.45 | $1,793.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital, Centerville one side Centerville · Centerville, IA HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Lt | $1,793.00 | $1,793.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Sheldon Medical Center Sheldon · Sheldon, IA SURG 32555 THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $1,886.40 | $2,358.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque one side Dubuque · Dubuque, IA HC Thoracentesis Pleural Space Needle/Catheter Aspiration W/ Imaging Guidance Rt | $2,174.90 | $3,346.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 4 | $227.00 | $559.70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 3 | $639.60 | $739.20 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 3 | $348.88 | $558.90 |
| Clinton, IA | 2 | $227.00 | $483.10 |
| Dubuque, IA | 2 | $766.40 | $1,470.65 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 2 | $227.00 | $496.70 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Centerville, IA | 1 | $1,793.00 | $1,793.00 |
| Corning, IA | 1 | $341.76 | $341.76 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Decorah, IA | 1 | $962.50 | $962.50 |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Grinnell, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Marshalltown, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Mason City, IA | 1 | $227.00 | $227.00 |
| Muscatine, IA | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| New Hampton, IA | 1 | $661.05 | $661.05 |
| Sheldon, IA | 1 | $1,886.40 | $1,886.40 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 1 | $766.40 | $766.40 |
| Storm Lake, IA | 1 | $324.80 | $324.80 |
| West Union, IA | 1 | $1,024.65 | $1,024.65 |
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.
Thoracentesis with imaging guidance in other states
- Alabama$3,129.16
- Alaska$2,541.24
- Arizona$5,748.00
- Arkansas$809.60
- California$2,033.20
- Colorado$4,893.55
- Connecticut$847.92
- Delaware$1,784.75
- Florida$2,001.98
- Georgia$2,939.04
- Hawaii$925.80
- Idaho$1,672.00
- Illinois$960.00
- Indiana$1,219.40
- Kansas$3,616.60
- Kentucky$2,895.22
- Louisiana$646.80
- Maine$377.30
- Maryland$1,580.35
- Massachusetts$1,645.70
- Michigan$1,084.15
- Minnesota$1,045.58
- Mississippi$643.32
- Missouri$720.85
- Montana$447.99
- Nebraska$630.87
- Nevada$1,231.80
- New Hampshire$820.64
- New Jersey$818.31
- New Mexico$934.15
- New York$737.31
- North Carolina$1,571.00
- North Dakota$599.76
- Ohio$1,825.53
- Oklahoma$673.55
- Oregon$868.70
- Pennsylvania$1,425.60
- Rhode Island$2,700.00
- South Carolina$1,486.25
- South Dakota$1,842.00
- Tennessee$487.08
- Texas$1,325.03
- Utah$1,348.18
- Vermont$500.00
- Virginia$1,659.00
- Washington$1,366.08
- West Virginia$1,626.31
- Wisconsin$1,150.00
- Wyoming$727.08
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.