Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,555 — 22% above the US median ($1,278), roughly 5.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $1,555 | $3,002 | — | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $1,555 — about 5.5× the Medicare rate ($284). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($568).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,565 list price could save about $10 (1%).
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 Birmingham
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molly Miller, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Birmingham, AL | 104 |
| Andrew White, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 84 |
| Brendan Mcguire | Gastroenterology | Birmingham, AL | 64 |
| Brooke Little | Nurse Practitioner | Birmingham, AL | 62 |
| Cherie Reed | Nurse Practitioner | Birmingham, AL | 28 |
| Meagan Gray, M.D. | Gastroenterology | Birmingham, AL | 27 |
All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices in Alabama → · All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham