Prices at 6 hospitals in Charlotte, NC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,961 — 52% above the US median ($1,290), roughly 6.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte, NC | $1,961 | $1,698 | ★ 3/5 | 170 min | 15.5% |
| Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health | Charlotte, NC | $1,961 | $1,733 | ★ 4/5 | 198 min | 14.8% |
| Atrium Health University City | Charlotte, NC | $1,961 | $1,733 | ★ 3/5 | 144 min | 14.9% |
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 August 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 $1,961 — about 6.9× 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 $3,922 list price could save about $1,961 (50%).
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 Charlotte
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Hines, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 71 |
| Jason Swenson, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 68 |
| Michael Lavelle, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 67 |
| Jeremy Kim, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 63 |
| Michael Meuse, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 59 |
| Ray Norby | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 49 |
| Chien-Chung Chang, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 49 |
| Greta Morcos, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 42 |
| Peter Simon, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 41 |
| Allyson Valentine, P.A. | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 41 |
| Jose Ruiz, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 41 |
| Megan Hunstad, PA | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 38 |
All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices in North Carolina → · All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Charlotte