Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) cost in California

Prices at 172 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,836 — 44% above the US median ($1,278), roughly 6.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
L a Downtown Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $413 $852 ★ 3/5 — —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $510 — — 121 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $572 $793 — 114 min —
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas, CA $575 $260 ★ 3/5 123 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $577 $1,167 ★ 4/5 259 min —
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville, CA $628 $1,132 ★ 3/5 116 min —
Bear Valley Community Hospital Big Bear Lake, CA $679 $666 — 139 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $680 $1,191 ★ 3/5 240 min —
Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA $689 $1,024 ★ 3/5 224 min —
El Camino Health Mountain View, CA $698 — ★ 4/5 163 min —
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA $751 $419 ★ 5/5 199 min —
Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA $751 $419 ★ 5/5 276 min —
St Elizabeth Community Hospital Red Bluff, CA $793 $1,005 ★ 4/5 133 min —
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $799 $1,191 ★ 2/5 254 min —
UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital San Francisco, CA $804 $804 ★ 3/5 138 min —
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $859 $1,191 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $859 $1,191 ★ 4/5 190 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $899 $1,444 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $899 $1,444 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $899 $1,444 ★ 3/5 197 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $920 $1,149 ★ 3/5 191 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $959 $2,150 ★ 1/5 160 min —
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA $963 $1,674 ★ 4/5 413 min —
Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta Murrieta, CA $963 $1,674 ★ 2/5 224 min —
Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Loma Linda, CA $963 $1,674 ★ 3/5 232 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)
$3,543
Cash / self-pay
$1,836
Insurer-negotiated
$1,191
Medicare pays
$284
$799$3,768
Median cash $1,836  ·  Medicare $284  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,836 — about 6.5× 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 $3,543 list price could save about $1,707 (48%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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

By city

Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) cost in other states

All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →