Prices at 6 hospitals in Charlotte, NC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,557 — 106% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 8.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte, NC | $2,557 | $2,260 | ★ 3/5 | 160 min | — |
| Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health | Charlotte, NC | $2,557 | $2,296 | ★ 4/5 | 196 min | — |
| Atrium Health University City | Charlotte, NC | $2,557 | $2,296 | ★ 3/5 | 148 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)
Typical cash price here is $2,557 — about 8.2× 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 $5,113 list price could save about $2,557 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greta Morcos, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 60 |
| Allyson Valentine, P.A. | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 52 |
| Matthew Groenwald, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 50 |
| Jeremy Kim, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 49 |
| Kevin Greene, PA | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 49 |
| Megan Hunstad, PA | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 47 |
| Amy Harrelson, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 47 |
| Andrew Sewalish, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 45 |
| Andrew Hines, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 44 |
| Nicholas Oravetz, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 42 |
| Angela Nash, PAC | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 42 |
| Chadwick Rogers, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Charlotte, NC | 42 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in North Carolina → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Charlotte