Takes a sample of the pleura — the thin membrane lining the chest cavity and covering the lung — with a needle passed through the skin between the ribs, often with imaging to guide it. The sample is sent to a laboratory to find out why the lining is thickened or why fluid keeps collecting, for instance from infection, inflammation, or cancer. No incision is needed.
Rates data updated July 2026.
How much does Needle Biopsy of the Lining of the Chest cost?
$204
Typical facility fee. In Maryland, July 2026.
Insurers have agreed to pay about $204 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $191 to $251.
These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 3 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.
How much rates vary
Facilitymedian $741 · 10th to 90th $708 to $3,388Professionalmedian $204 · 10th to 90th $151 to $295
Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Small sample; interpret with caution. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.
Rates by insurance carrier
Insurance Carrier
Facility/Professional
Modifier
Typical LowTypical Low is the 10th percentile of the published rates, Median the 50th, and Typical High the 90th. One in ten rates falls below Typical Low, and one in ten falls above Typical High.
MedianTypical Low is the 10th percentile of the published rates, Median the 50th, and Typical High the 90th. One in ten rates falls below Typical Low, and one in ten falls above Typical High.
Typical HighTypical Low is the 10th percentile of the published rates, Median the 50th, and Typical High the 90th. One in ten rates falls below Typical Low, and one in ten falls above Typical High.
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$741.31
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$741.31
Facility
Global
$741.31
$741.31
$741.31
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$151.36
Median
$204.17
Typical High
$295.12
Professional
Global
$151.36
$204.17
$295.12
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$707.95
Median
$707.95
Typical High
$3,388.44
Facility
Global
$707.95
$707.95
$3,388.44
Where Maryland sits
The same service costs 36.3 times more in Indiana than in West Virginia. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.