Thoracentesis cost in New Jersey
In New Jersey, 44 hospitals publish a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $311.20 to $6,839.00, with a median of $1,782.00. The lowest price is at Virtua Memorial Hospital (Mount Holly) and 4 other hospitals. The highest price is 22.0× the lowest.
- The median here, $1,782.00, is 46% above the US median of $1,224.53.
- That is 2.8× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($640.89).
- New Jersey ranks 44th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 11 of 44 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Why New Jersey prices look low: under state law (P.L.2008, c.60), a hospital may not charge an uninsured New Jersey resident whose family income is below 500% of the federal poverty level more than 115% of what Medicare pays for the same service. If that is you, ask the hospital's billing office to apply this limit; a separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.
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 Oct 29, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$311.20Virtua Memorial Hospital + 4 more
Median$1,782.00half of hospitals charge less
Highest$6,839.00in New Jersey
Lowest saves$1,470.80vs the median
Hospitals in New Jersey, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtua Memorial Hospital lowest Mount Holly · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $311.20 | $3,112.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes lowest Camden · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $311.20 | $3,112.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua West Jersey Hospital - Marlton lowest Voorhees · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $311.20 | $3,112.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua West Jersey Hospital - Voorhees lowest Voorhees · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $311.20 | $3,112.00 | Jun 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Willingboro Hospital lowest Willinboro · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $311.20 | $3,112.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - Mainland Division one side Pomona · Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/IMAGING | $417.75 | $2,785.00 | Mar 18, 2026 source file |
| Englewood Health Englewood · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $581.90 | $5,819.00 | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Holy Name Teaneck · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ THORACENTESIS TUBE INS. PNEU | $600.00 | $1,441.00 | Nov 10, 2025 source file |
| Newton Medical Center Newton · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $675.57 | $3,750.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell Pennington · Trenton-Princeton, NJ ICU POC US GUIDED THORAC | $721.00 | $721.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Capital Health Regional Medical Center Trenton · Trenton-Princeton, NJ ICU POC US GUIDED THORAC | $721.00 | $721.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Saint Marys Hospital Passaic · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Hc Thoracentesis Ndl/Cath Pleura Asp W Imag | $741.00 | $2,578.97 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Chilton Medical Center Pompton Plains · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $776.91 | $2,570.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hackettstown Medical Center Hackettstown · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $776.91 | $2,755.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| CentraState Medical Center Freehold Township · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $786.98 | $3,088.72 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center Montclair · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC Thoracentesis W/ Imaging | $797.69 | $2,808.75 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Shore Memorial Hospital Somers Point · Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ EN,THORACENTES W/IMAGING | $811.63 | $3,950.00 | Aug 30, 2026 source file |
| Morristown Medical Center Morristown · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $824.99 | $3,161.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlook Medical Center Summit · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Thoracentesis W Img Gdx | $824.99 | $3,105.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Valley Hospital Paramus · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ BEDSIDE - THORACENTESIS | $828.60 | $1,381.00 | May 6, 2026 source file |
| University Hospital Newark · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $840.72 | $2,642.62 | Aug 13, 2026 source file |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Middletown · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $1,782.00 | $1,782.00 | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Basking Ridge · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $1,782.00 | $1,782.00 | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Saint Peters University Hospital one side New Brunswick · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ CT GUIDED THORACENTESIS LT | $2,890.00 | $4,379.00 | Nov 19, 2025 source file |
| Community Medical Center Toms River · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $3,786.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $3,986.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Warren Hospital Phillipsburg · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ HB ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $4,291.20 | $4,768.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus Lakewood · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $4,350.00 | — | Mar 3, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Bridgeton Bridgeton · Vineland, NJ Thoracentesis W Image | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD SMC- INSERT CATH PLEURA W/ IMAGE (RAD) | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD US Thoracentesis with IMG | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD SMC- INSERT CATH PLEURA W/ IMAGE (RAD) | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD US Thoracentesis with IMG | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Vineland Vineland · Vineland, NJ THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway Rahway · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $4,627.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Hudson Regional Hospital Secaucus · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | $4,776.77 | $4,776.77 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $4,881.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton Hamilton Township · Trenton-Princeton, NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $5,110.00 | — | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Jersey City Medical Center Jersey City · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $5,339.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $5,419.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick New Brunswick · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $5,741.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Trinitas Regional Medical Center Elizabeth · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $5,855.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Somerville · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $6,311.00 | — | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Livingston · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ASPIRATE PLEURA W/ IMAGING | $6,839.00 | — | Mar 4, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 26 | $581.90 | $2,336.00 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 9 | $311.20 | $311.20 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 3 | $721.00 | $721.00 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2 | $776.91 | $2,534.06 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 2 | $417.75 | $614.69 |
| Vineland, NJ | 2 | $4,410.63 | $4,410.63 |
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
- Montana$927.54
- Nebraska$939.00
- Nevada$1,259.58
- New Hampshire$1,063.30
- 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.