Thoracentesis cost in Tennessee
In Tennessee, 40 hospitals publish a cash price for thoracentesis with imaging guidance: from $131.47 to $1,913.47, with a median of $487.08. The lowest price is at Erlanger Health (Chattanooga). The highest price is 14.6× 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 25, 2026.
Lowest$131.47Erlanger Health
Median$487.08half pay less
Highest$1,913.47in Tennessee
Lowest saves$355.61vs the median
Hospitals in Tennessee, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erlanger Health lowest Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN-GA PR THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $131.47 | $249.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City Union City · Union City, TN HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $170.60 | $853.00 | Feb 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $191.10 | $910.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Hancock County Hospital Sneedville · Sneedville, TN HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $376.51 | $1,637.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Bristol Regional Medical Center Bristol · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Franklin Woods Community Hospital Johnson City · Johnson City, TN HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Greeneville Community Hospital Greeneville · Greeneville, TN HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Hawkins County Memorial Hospital Rogersville · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Holston Valley Medical Center Kingsport · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Indian Path Community Hospital Kingsport · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Johnson City Medical Center Johnson City · Johnson City, TN HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | — source file |
| Sycamore Shoals Hospital Elizabethton · Johnson City, TN HC THORACENTESIS ASPIR W IMAG GUID | $383.85 | $2,559.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Leconte Medical Center Sevierville · Sevierville, TN THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $428.04 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Morristown Hamblen Hospital Association Morristown · Morristown, TN SP THORACENTESIS W IMAG GUID | $442.80 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville · Knoxville, TN THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $442.80 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Cumberland Medical Center Crossville · Crossville, TN SP THORACENTESIS W IMAG GUID | $472.32 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital Clarksville · Clarksville, TN-KY CT-THORACNTSIS W IMG | $477.23 | $2,459.92 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville · Knoxville, TN SP THORACENTESIS W IMAG GUID | $487.08 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge · Knoxville, TN SP THORACENTESIS W IMAG GUID | $487.08 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Roane County Medical Center Harriman · Knoxville, TN SP THORACENTESIS W IMAG GUID | $487.08 | $1,476.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Germantown Hosp Germantown · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — source file |
| Methodist South Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — source file |
| Methodist University Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $495.88 | $2,254.00 | — source file |
| Methodist North Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC Thoracentesis Needle/Cath Pleura W/Imaging | $505.12 | $2,296.00 | — source file |
| Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Shelbyville · Shelbyville, TN THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $508.95 | $1,755.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital Tullahoma · Tullahoma-Manchester, TN THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $508.95 | $1,755.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $508.95 | $1,755.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| DeKalb Community Hospital Smithville · Smithville, TN THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG (LT) | $633.65 | $2,112.15 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital Sparta · Cookeville, TN THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG (LT) | $633.65 | $2,112.15 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas River Park Hospital McMinnville · McMinnville, TN THORACENTESIS W/ IMAG (RT) | $633.65 | $2,112.15 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital one side Murfreesboro · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN US THORACENTESIS LEFT | $633.65 | $2,112.15 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital one side Harding Pk Nashville · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN US THORACENTESIS RIGHT | $633.65 | $2,112.15 | — source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County Huntingdon · Huntingdon, TN HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $702.88 | $3,056.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC ED 32555-THORACENTESIS W IMAGING | $733.44 | $3,056.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN THORACENTESIS NEEDLE/CATH PLEURA W/IMAGING | $947.70 | $1,755.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| STRHS Pulaski Pulaski · Pulaski, TN Thoracentesis, needle or catheter, aspiration of the pleural space; with imaging guidance | $1,404.45 | $4,842.92 | — source file |
| Erlanger Health Pikeville · Pikeville, TN HC Thora W Image Guide | $1,913.47 | $6,621.00 | Jan 25, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 9 | $191.10 | $495.88 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 4 | $383.85 | $383.85 |
| Knoxville, TN | 4 | $442.80 | $487.08 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 4 | $508.95 | $633.65 |
| Johnson City, TN | 3 | $383.85 | $383.85 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 1 | $131.47 | $131.47 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 1 | $477.23 | $477.23 |
| Cookeville, TN | 1 | $633.65 | $633.65 |
| Crossville, TN | 1 | $472.32 | $472.32 |
| Greeneville, TN | 1 | $383.85 | $383.85 |
| Huntingdon, TN | 1 | $702.88 | $702.88 |
| McMinnville, TN | 1 | $633.65 | $633.65 |
| Morristown, TN | 1 | $442.80 | $442.80 |
| Pikeville, TN | 1 | $1,913.47 | $1,913.47 |
| Pulaski, TN | 1 | $1,404.45 | $1,404.45 |
| Smithville, TN | 1 | $633.65 | $633.65 |
| Sneedville, TN | 1 | $376.51 | $376.51 |
| Sevierville, TN | 1 | $428.04 | $428.04 |
| Shelbyville, TN | 1 | $508.95 | $508.95 |
| Tullahoma-Manchester, TN | 1 | $508.95 | $508.95 |
| Union City, TN | 1 | $170.60 | $170.60 |
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
- Iowa$766.40
- 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
- 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.