Prices at 5 hospitals in Milwaukee, WI, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,362 — 10% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 4.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital | Milwaukee, WI | $1,164 | $720 | ★ 5/5 | 124 min | — |
| Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital | Milwaukee, WI | $1,311 | $1,568 | ★ 3/5 | 275 min | — |
| Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $1,414 | $2,185 | — | — | — |
| Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $1,480 | $1,242 | ★ 3/5 | 167 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 $1,362 — about 4.4× 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 $2,477 list price could save about $1,115 (45%).
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 Milwaukee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Tetzlaff, APNP | Nurse Practitioner | Milwaukee, WI | 47 |
| Danielle Bade, PA | Physician Assistant | Milwaukee, WI | 40 |
| Milan Joshi, M.D | Interventional Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 38 |
| Kelyn Levy, APNP | Nurse Practitioner | Milwaukee, WI | 35 |
| Sikandar Ansari, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Milwaukee, WI | 27 |
| Kathryn Krueger, PA | Physician Assistant | Milwaukee, WI | 26 |
| Devin Madenberg | Internal Medicine | Milwaukee, WI | 25 |
| Leah Cotter, DO | Hospitalist | Milwaukee, WI | 25 |
| Jenny Smith, PA | Physician Assistant | Milwaukee, WI | 21 |
| Kyle Olson | Hospitalist | Milwaukee, WI | 17 |
| Abdiel Gaud Irizarry, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Milwaukee, WI | 13 |
| Sheila Swartz | Hospitalist | Milwaukee, WI | 13 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Wisconsin → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Milwaukee