Prices at 5 hospitals in Little Rock, AR, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,347 — 4% above the US median ($1,290), roughly 4.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI-St Vincent Infirmary | Little Rock, AR | $621 | $1,063 | ★ 3/5 | 183 min | 14.7% |
| Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | $691 | $907 | ★ 3/5 | 146 min | 16.1% |
| Arkansas Children's Hospital | Little Rock, AR | $1,347 | $1,193 | — | — | — |
| University of Arkansas Medical Sciences | Little Rock, AR | $1,550 | $873 | ★ 2/5 | 253 min | 14.7% |
| Arkansas State Hospital | Little Rock, AR | $1,550 | $873 | — | — | — |
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 $1,347 — about 4.7× 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 $2,583 list price could save about $1,236 (48%).
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 Little Rock
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Jacks, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 95 |
| Matthew Deneke, MD | Gastroenterology | Little Rock, AR | 88 |
| Mary Rude, MD | Gastroenterology | Little Rock, AR | 68 |
| David Hays, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 59 |
| Brandon Kelly, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 58 |
| Mauricio Garcia Saenz De Sicilia, MD | Gastroenterology | Little Rock, AR | 55 |
| Sarah Lindsey, MPAS, PA-C, RDMS | Physician Assistant | Little Rock, AR | 44 |
| Abhishek Thummalakunta, M.D., MPH | Diagnostic Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 40 |
| David Heister, M.D. PH.D. | Interventional Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 37 |
| Lauren Brown, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Little Rock, AR | 32 |
| Craig Steeds, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 28 |
| Thomas St Amour, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Little Rock, AR | 27 |
All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices in Arkansas → · All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Little Rock