Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in California

Prices at 171 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,221 — 79% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 7.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $339 $746 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $339 $746 ★ 4/5 190 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $399 $807 ★ 4/5 259 min —
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $413 $807 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Martinez, CA $416 — ★ 4/5 171 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $560 — — 121 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $654 $795 ★ 3/5 191 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $665 $1,551 ★ 1/5 160 min —
St Elizabeth Community Hospital Red Bluff, CA $704 $577 ★ 4/5 133 min —
Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz, CA $786 $1,584 ★ 4/5 183 min —
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 188 min —
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 238 min —
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 134 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 134 min —
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $802 $803 ★ 1/5 158 min —
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 204 min —
Chino Valley Medical Center Chino, CA $802 $803 ★ 4/5 174 min —
San Dimas Community Hospital San Dimas, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 147 min —
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 188 min —
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 140 min —
Montclair Hospital Medical Center Montclair, CA $802 $803 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $802 $803 ★ 2/5 156 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $881 $894 ★ 3/5 170 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)
$3,790
Cash / self-pay
$2,221
Insurer-negotiated
$859
Medicare pays
$311
$802$3,790
Median cash $2,221  ·  Medicare $311  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,221 — about 7.1× the Medicare rate ($311). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($622).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,790 list price could save about $1,569 (41%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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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