Prices at 5 hospitals in Rochester, NY, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,939 — 55% above the US median ($1,252), roughly 6.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester General Hospital | Rochester, NY | $1,806 | $299 | ★ 2/5 | 233 min | — |
| Unity Hospital | Rochester, NY | $1,939 | $314 | ★ 2/5 | 299 min | — |
| Unity Specialty Hospital | Rochester, NY | $1,939 | $314 | — | — | — |
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 September 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 $1,939 — about 6.2× 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 $2,424 list price could save about $485 (20%).
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 Rochester
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabrielle Scharfe, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Rochester, NY | 29 |
| Ihab Akladious, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Rochester, NY | 18 |
| Donnette Dabydeen, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Rochester, NY | 15 |
| Stacey Chu, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Rochester, NY | 15 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in New York → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Rochester