Thoracentesis cost in Montana
In Montana, 14 hospitals publish a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $160.00 to $3,063.20, with a median of $927.54. The lowest price is at Providence St Joseph Medical Center (Polson). The highest price is 19.1× the lowest.
- The median here, $927.54, is 24% below the US median of $1,224.53.
- That is 1.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($640.89).
- Montana ranks 9th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 14 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
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 Nov 10, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$160.00Providence St Joseph Medical Center
Median$927.54half of hospitals charge less
Highest$3,063.20in Montana
Lowest saves$767.54vs the median
Hospitals in Montana, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence St Joseph Medical Center lowest Polson · Polson, MT HC PR ED 32555 THORACENTESIS/ASPIR W IMG GD CDM | $160.00 | $200.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St. Patrick Hospital Missoula · Missoula, MT HC PR ED 32555 THORACENTESIS/ASPIR W IMG GD CDM | $223.20 | $279.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Deaconess Regional Medical Center Bozeman · Bozeman, MT HC PF ASPIRATE PLEURA W IMAGING | $522.40 | $653.00 | Jan 16, 2026 source file |
| Community Hospital of Anaconda Anaconda · Anaconda, MT Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $531.98 | $709.30 | Nov 9, 2026 source file |
| Sidney Health Center Sidney · Sidney, MT SURG 32555 THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $601.87 | $972.00 | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Whitefish Whitefish · Kalispell, MT THORACENTESIS; WITH GUIDANCE | $792.02 | $1,218.50 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St. Peter's Health Helena · Helena, MT OPERATING ROOM SERVICES - MINOR SURGERY | $864.31 | $1,016.84 | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Cut Bank Cut Bank · Cut Bank, MT US Exam | $990.76 | $1,524.25 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Barrett Hospital & Healthcare Dillon · Dillon, MT Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $1,199.85 | $1,263.00 | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health Medical Center Kalispell · Kalispell, MT THORACENTESIS W/ GUIDANCE | $1,214.04 | $1,867.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Glasgow · Glasgow, MT Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $1,580.40 | $1,756.00 | Aug 27, 2026 source file |
| Livingston HealthCare Livingston · Livingston, MT Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $1,741.35 | $1,833.00 | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Great Falls Clinic Hospital one side Great Falls · Great Falls, MT ASPIRATION OF FLUID FROM CHEST CAVITY USING IMAGING GUIDANCE | $2,143.00 | $2,143.00 | Feb 18, 2026 source file |
| Big Sky Medical Center Big Sky · Bozeman, MT HC THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $3,063.20 | $3,829.00 | Jan 15, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | 2 | $522.40 | $1,792.80 |
| Kalispell, MT | 2 | $792.02 | $1,003.03 |
| Anaconda, MT | 1 | $531.98 | $531.98 |
| Cut Bank, MT | 1 | $990.76 | $990.76 |
| Dillon, MT | 1 | $1,199.85 | $1,199.85 |
| Glasgow, MT | 1 | $1,580.40 | $1,580.40 |
| Great Falls, MT | 1 | $2,143.00 | $2,143.00 |
| Helena, MT | 1 | $864.31 | $864.31 |
| Livingston, MT | 1 | $1,741.35 | $1,741.35 |
| Missoula, MT | 1 | $223.20 | $223.20 |
| Polson, MT | 1 | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| Sidney, MT | 1 | $601.87 | $601.87 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What thoracentesis is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Thoracentesis explained.
Thoracentesis with imaging guidance in other states
- Alabama$1,055.53
- Alaska$2,211.30
- Arizona$1,106.95
- Arkansas$925.00
- California$2,033.20
- Colorado$1,250.95
- Connecticut$1,253.00
- Delaware$1,784.75
- District of Columbia$1,228.69, 3 hospitals
- Florida$1,874.28
- Georgia$1,410.41
- Hawaii$1,434.00
- Idaho$1,155.70
- Illinois$1,250.00
- Indiana$1,095.50
- Iowa$983.20
- Kansas$969.83
- Kentucky$978.22
- Louisiana$646.80
- Maine$686.40
- Maryland$1,249.16
- Massachusetts$1,787.00
- Michigan$1,092.18
- Minnesota$926.91
- Mississippi$843.94
- Missouri$1,022.79
- Nebraska$939.00
- Nevada$1,259.58
- New Hampshire$1,063.30
- New Jersey$1,782.00
- New Mexico$1,229.41
- New York$1,282.00
- North Carolina$1,029.60
- North Dakota$792.75
- Ohio$1,737.60
- Oklahoma$684.00
- Oregon$1,534.65
- Pennsylvania$1,474.38
- Puerto Rico$600.00, 4 hospitals
- Rhode Island$1,714.65
- South Carolina$1,404.00
- South Dakota$1,842.00
- Tennessee$633.65
- Texas$1,410.82
- Utah$1,018.79
- Vermont$1,258.00
- Virginia$1,321.80
- Washington$1,321.84
- West Virginia$1,250.40
- Wisconsin$1,200.00
- Wyoming$1,088.89
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.