Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in Arizona

Prices at 35 hospitals in Arizona, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,049 — 15% below the US median ($1,239), roughly 3.4× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ $165 $668 ★ 2/5 202 min —
Northern Cochise Community Hospital, Inc. Willcox, AZ $431 $438 — — —
Banner Payson Medical Center Payson, AZ $473 $403 ★ 4/5 142 min —
East Valley Er & Hospital Gilbert, AZ $578 — — — —
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande, AZ $625 $1,218 ★ 2/5 174 min —
Banner Goldfield Medical Center Apache Junction, AZ $643 $1,522 ★ 5/5 146 min —
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center Sun City West, AZ $777 $1,353 ★ 3/5 230 min —
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City, AZ $859 $1,691 ★ 3/5 224 min —
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa, AZ $924 $1,522 ★ 2/5 259 min —
White Mountain Regional Medical Center Springerville, AZ $935 $80 — 134 min —
Banner Ocotillo Medical Center Chandler, AZ $946 $1,691 ★ 3/5 180 min —
Banner Heart Hospital Mesa, AZ $957 $1,522 ★ 2/5 — —
Banner-University Medical Center Tucson Campus Tucson, AZ $979 $1,038 ★ 3/5 311 min —
Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix, AZ $1,035 $1,353 ★ 3/5 266 min —
Banner Gateway Medical Center Gilbert, AZ $1,039 $1,579 ★ 3/5 224 min —
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center Glendale, AZ $1,042 $1,218 ★ 4/5 234 min —
Page Hospital Page, AZ $1,055 $738 — 78 min —
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa, AZ $1,107 $1,579 ★ 2/5 269 min —
Banner Ironwood Medical Center Queen Creek, AZ $1,306 $1,579 ★ 3/5 221 min —
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix, AZ $1,309 $1,579 ★ 3/5 236 min —
Banner-University Medical Center South Campus Tucson, AZ $1,397 $1,038 ★ 4/5 260 min —
Havasu Regional Medical Center Lake Havasu City, AZ $1,476 — ★ 3/5 233 min —
Verde Valley Medical Center Cottonwood, AZ $1,487 $717 ★ 4/5 165 min —
Flagstaff Medical Center Flagstaff, AZ $1,487 $741 ★ 4/5 214 min —
Exceptional Community Hospital-Maricopa Maricopa, AZ $1,860 — — — —

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)
$3,100
Cash / self-pay
$1,049
Insurer-negotiated
$1,218
Medicare pays
$311
$583$2,025
Median cash $1,049  ·  Medicare $311  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,049 — about 3.4× the Medicare rate ($311). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($622).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,100 list price could save about $2,051 (66%).

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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.

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