Prices at 6 hospitals in Nashville, TN, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $892 — 28% below the US median ($1,239), roughly 2.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery | Nashville, TN | $784 | $3,613 | — | — | — |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital | Nashville, TN | $892 | $99 | ★ 4/5 | 125 min | — |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, TN | $1,612 | $597 | ★ 5/5 | 269 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 $892 — about 2.9× 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 $2,235 list price could save about $1,344 (60%).
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 Nashville
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Pichiarello, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Nashville, TN | 70 |
| Steven Link, A.P.N. | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 56 |
| Sarah Everage, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Nashville, TN | 54 |
| Raj Bant, MD | Interventional Radiology | Nashville, TN | 47 |
| Jessica Hurst, FNP-C | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 37 |
| Joey Johnson, FNP-C | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 36 |
| Thomas Evans, AGACNP-BC | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 35 |
| Benjamin Jordan, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Nashville, TN | 34 |
| Scott Dennis, ACNP-BC | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 27 |
| Charles Ludwig, FNP-C | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 23 |
| Kathleen Donais, APRN | Nurse Practitioner | Nashville, TN | 15 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Tennessee → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Nashville