Prices at 4 hospitals in Albuquerque, NM, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,752 — 40% above the US median ($1,252), roughly 5.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unm Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $531 | $618 | ★ 2/5 | 273 min | — |
| Lovelace Medical Center | Albuquerque, NM | $1,752 | $4,381 | ★ 2/5 | 212 min | — |
| Lovelace Women's Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,752 | $4,381 | ★ 4/5 | 205 min | — |
| Lovelace Westside Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,752 | $4,381 | ★ 4/5 | 159 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated September 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $1,752 — about 5.6× the Medicare rate ($311). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($622).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,841 list price could save about $4,089 (70%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Albuquerque
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Aboubechara | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 53 |
| Kristen Bushnell, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Albuquerque, NM | 29 |
| Amber Camody | Physician Assistant | Albuquerque, NM | 20 |
| Kirk Giesbrandt, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 17 |
| Christopher Bettis, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Albuquerque, NM | 15 |
| David Lucero, NP | Nurse Practitioner | Albuquerque, NM | 13 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in New Mexico → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Albuquerque