Prices at 4 hospitals in Tacoma, WA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,302 — 5% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 4.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Medical Center | Tacoma, WA | $851 | $1,454 | ★ 3/5 | 211 min | — |
| Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $1,302 | $2,062 | ★ 2/5 | 208 min | — |
| Mary Bridge Children's Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $1,302 | $2,417 | — | — | — |
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 $1,302 — about 4.2× 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 $3,255 list price could save about $1,953 (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 Tacoma
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candice Tong | Physician Assistant | Tacoma, WA | 86 |
| Ryan Bredeweg, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 22 |
| Marc-Gregory Warhola, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Tacoma, WA | 19 |
All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices in Washington → · All Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) prices (national) · All hospitals in Tacoma