Prices at 38 hospitals in Nebraska, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $863 — 31% below the US median ($1,250), roughly 2.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogallala Community Hospital | Ogallala, NE | $190 | $224 | — | 98 min | 15.3% |
| Gordon Memorial Hospital District | Gordon, NE | $235 | $221 | — | 105 min | 15.4% |
| Merrick Medical Center | Central City, NE | $385 | $616 | — | 125 min | 14.6% |
| Crete Area Medical Center | Crete, NE | $385 | $613 | — | 100 min | 14.8% |
| Methodist Fremont Health | Fremont, NE | $522 | $846 | ★ 2/5 | 133 min | 14.9% |
| CHI Health St. Elizabeth | Lincoln, NE | $540 | $669 | ★ 4/5 | 162 min | 15.0% |
| CHI Health Bergan Mercy | Omaha, NE | $601 | $633 | ★ 4/5 | 160 min | 14.6% |
| CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha, NE | $601 | $633 | ★ 3/5 | 132 min | 15.5% |
| CHI Health Midlands | Papillion, NE | $601 | $633 | ★ 4/5 | 138 min | 14.8% |
| CHI Health Lakeside | Omaha, NE | $601 | $633 | ★ 4/5 | 173 min | 15.1% |
| Howard County Medical Center | St Paul, NE | $653 | $102 | — | 87 min | 14.9% |
| The Nebraska Methodist Hospital | Omaha, NE | $671 | $857 | ★ 4/5 | 156 min | 15.5% |
| Chase County Community Hospital | Imperial, NE | $741 | $347 | — | 131 min | 15.5% |
| CHI Health Plainview Hospital | Plainview, NE | $771 | $881 | — | 97 min | 14.8% |
| CHI Health Schuyler | Schuyler, NE | $780 | $833 | — | 103 min | — |
| Avera St Anthony's Hospital | O' Neill, NE | $786 | $675 | ★ 4/5 | 111 min | 14.7% |
| Pender Community Hospital | Pender, NE | $793 | $865 | — | 125 min | 15.1% |
| Garden County Health Services | Oshkosh, NE | $825 | $1,019 | — | 149 min | — |
| Chadron Hospital | Chadron, NE | $856 | $1,174 | ★ 3/5 | 108 min | 14.7% |
| Bryan Medical Center | Lincoln, NE | $869 | $653 | ★ 3/5 | 117 min | 14.7% |
| Grand Island Regional Medical Center | Grand Island, NE | $936 | $1,037 | ★ 2/5 | 105 min | 15.1% |
| Cozad Community Hospital | Cozad, NE | $937 | $947 | — | 99 min | 15.7% |
| Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center, Inc | Beatrice, NE | $1,001 | $780 | ★ 4/5 | 93 min | 14.7% |
| CHI Health Nebraska Heart | Lincoln, NE | $1,002 | $1,146 | ★ 4/5 | — | 13.3% |
| CHI Health St. Francis | Grand Island, NE | $1,011 | $1,316 | ★ 4/5 | 125 min | 14.3% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $863 — about 2.8× the Medicare rate ($311). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($622).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,398 list price could save about $535 (38%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in other states
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Nebraska →