Chest tube insertion cost in Charlotte, NC

Prices at 6 hospitals in Charlotte, NC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $716 — 47% below the US median ($1,361), roughly 5.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC $716 $702 ★ 3/5 160 min —
Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health Charlotte, NC $716 $742 ★ 4/5 196 min —
Atrium Health University City Charlotte, NC $716 $716 ★ 3/5 148 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 October 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)
$1,432
Cash / self-pay
$716
Insurer-negotiated
$1,145
Medicare pays
$143
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $716 — about 5.0× the Medicare rate ($143). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($286).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,432 list price could save about $716 (50%).

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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 tube insertion prices in North Carolina → · All Chest tube insertion prices (national) · All hospitals in Charlotte