Prices at 5 hospitals in Miami, FL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,596 — 110% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 8.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Hospital of Miami | Miami, FL | $1,877 | $1,195 | ★ 5/5 | 236 min | — |
| West Kendall Baptist Hospital | Miami, FL | $1,877 | $1,195 | ★ 5/5 | 179 min | — |
| North Shore Medical Center | Miami, FL | $3,316 | $730 | ★ 1/5 | 180 min | — |
| South Miami Hospital | Miami, FL | $3,754 | $1,031 | ★ 4/5 | 196 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 $2,596 — about 8.3× 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 $3,101 list price could save about $505 (16%).
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 Miami
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael O'neill, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Miami, FL | 134 |
| Bradley Fox, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Miami, FL | 97 |
| Simon Astor, DO | Hospitalist | Miami, FL | 94 |
| Joao Papadelis, APRN | Nurse Practitioner | Miami, FL | 65 |
| Aaron Nordgren, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Miami, FL | 55 |
| Sixto Arias, MD | Pulmonary Disease | Miami, FL | 48 |
| Arleene Careaga- Hernandez | Nurse Practitioner | Miami, FL | 47 |
| Genibert Perez-Puelles, MD | Hospitalist | Miami, FL | 46 |
| Orlando Enrizo, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Miami, FL | 36 |
| Jesus Lopez, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Miami, FL | 33 |
| Abieyuwa Eweka, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Miami, FL | 32 |
| Kumar Shah, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Miami, FL | 29 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Florida → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Miami