Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in Texas

Prices at 151 hospitals in Texas, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,382 — 12% above the US median ($1,239), roughly 4.4× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
El Paso Children's Hospital El Paso, TX $221 $867 — — —
Ascension Providence Waco, TX $225 $224 ★ 2/5 223 min —
Huntsville Memorial Hospital Huntsville, TX $252 $706 ★ 2/5 194 min —
Wilson N Jones Regional Medical Center Sherman, TX $260 $599 ★ 2/5 156 min —
North Texas Medical Center Gainesville, TX $280 $602 ★ 4/5 117 min —
Cogdell Memorial Hospital Snyder, TX $299 $183 — 90 min —
Pampa Regional Medical Center Pampa, TX $393 $370 — 110 min —
Permian Regional Medical Center Andrews County Ho Andrews, TX $411 $581 — 106 min —
University Health System San Antonio, TX $413 $726 ★ 3/5 366 min —
University Medical Center Lubbock, TX $413 $726 ★ 2/5 189 min —
CHI St Luke's Health Brazosport Lake Jackson, TX $524 $644 ★ 4/5 152 min —
CHI St Joseph Health Regional Hospital Bryan, TX $574 $638 ★ 2/5 158 min —
Bayside Community Hospital Anahuac, TX $576 $268 — 106 min —
Burleson St Joseph Health Center Caldwell, TX $626 $1,263 — 80 min —
Madison St Joseph Health Center Madisonville, TX $626 $1,240 — 108 min —
Grimes St Joseph Health Center Navasota, TX $626 $1,508 — 92 min —
Vhs Harlingen Hospital Company Llc Harlingen, TX $627 $646 ★ 2/5 145 min —
Knapp Medical Center Weslaco, TX $627 $627 ★ 5/5 133 min —
Mission Regional Medical Center Mission, TX $627 $662 ★ 4/5 152 min —
Dallas Medical Center Dallas, TX $627 $636 ★ 3/5 137 min —
Dallas Regional Medical Center Mesquite, TX $627 $677 ★ 3/5 166 min —
Harlingen Medical Center Harlingen, TX $627 $646 ★ 4/5 156 min —
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital Nacogdoches, TX $721 $658 ★ 2/5 174 min —
Frio Regional Hospital Pearsall, TX $758 $371 — 127 min —
Coryell Memorial Hospital Gatesville, TX $780 $345 — 137 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$2,555
Cash / self-pay
$1,382
Insurer-negotiated
$947
Medicare pays
$311
$480$4,118
Median cash $1,382  ·  Medicare $311  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,382 — 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 $2,555 list price could save about $1,173 (46%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

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Chest fluid drain (thoracentesis) cost in other states

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