Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in Columbus, OH

Prices at 4 hospitals in Columbus, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,486 — 339% above the US median ($1,250), roughly 17.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Mount Carmel East & West Columbus, OH $1,476 $327 ★ 2/5 145 min 15.4%
Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH $5,486 $2,159 ★ 4/5 222 min 14.3%
Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH $5,486 $2,159 ★ 2/5 158 min 15.7%
Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH $5,486 $2,166 ★ 4/5 174 min 15.1%

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 June 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$8,441
Cash / self-pay
$5,486
Insurer-negotiated
$2,159
Medicare pays
$311
$2,679$5,486
Median cash $5,486  ·  Medicare $311  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $5,486 — about 17.6× 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 $8,441 list price could save about $2,954 (35%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Ohio → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Columbus