Thoracentesis cost in New York

In New York, 103 hospitals publish a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $142.51 to $10,651.00, with a median of $1,282.00. The lowest price is at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital (Springville). The highest price is 74.7× the lowest.

• The median here, $1,282.00, is 5% above the US median of $1,223.60.
• That is 2.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($640.89).
• New York ranks 33rd of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 38 of 103 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

New York law (Public Health Law §2807-k(9-a), as amended in October 2024): uninsured patients with income below 200% of the federal poverty level owe nothing for emergency and medically necessary hospital care; up to 400% they pay on a sliding scale of at most 10% or 20% of what Medicaid would pay. Emergency care is covered for New York residents, other care for people living in the hospital's service area; immigration status does not count. Ask for the Uniform Hospital Financial Assistance form. 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 Nov 12, 2026. See them on a map