Prices at 4 hospitals in San Antonio, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,118 — 232% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 13.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Hospital | San Antonio, TX | $4,118 | $1,440 | ★ 4/5 | 138 min | — |
| Methodist Hospital Stone Oak | San Antonio, TX | $4,118 | $1,440 | ★ 4/5 | 166 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 $4,118 — about 13.2× the Medicare rate ($311). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($622).
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 San Antonio
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amit Mehta, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 58 |
| Justin Muhlenberg, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 52 |
| Barjinder Sandhu, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 52 |
| Christopher Muniz, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 42 |
| John Thomas, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 39 |
| Gregory Ramsey, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 29 |
| Lara Voigt | Hospitalist | San Antonio, TX | 27 |
| John Cunningham, M.D. | Hospitalist | San Antonio, TX | 17 |
| James Saca, M.D. | Hospitalist | San Antonio, TX | 17 |
| Holly Day, M.D. | Hospitalist | San Antonio, TX | 16 |
| Gautam Rao, DO | Interventional Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 15 |
| Courtney Cook, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | San Antonio, TX | 15 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Texas → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in San Antonio