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Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter

California rates for HCPCS 32550

Places a soft drainage tube into the space around the lung and runs it a short distance under the skin, where a small cuff anchors it so it can stay in for the long term. The outer end is capped under a dressing, and fluid can be drained into a bottle whenever it builds up. It is used when fluid around the lung keeps coming back.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter cost?

$4,467

Typical facility fee. In California, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $4,467 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $2,818 to $6,761.

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 9 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $4,786 · 10th to 90th $1,660 to $13,804Professionalmedian $759 · 10th to 90th $186 to $1,479
$100$500$2K$10Kfacility $4,786professional $759

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. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,238.72
Median
$6,606.93
Typical High
$19,498.45
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,570.40
Median
$4,466.84
Typical High
$12,882.50
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$75.86
Median
$3,388.44
Typical High
$8,128.31
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,818.38
Median
$2,818.38
Typical High
$3,311.31
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$199.53
Median
$724.44
Typical High
$1,348.96
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$186.21
Median
$758.58
Typical High
$1,479.11
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$54.95
Median
$56.23
Typical High
$12,882.50
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$223.87
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$1,513.56
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$5,370.32
Median
$10,000.00
Typical High
$20,417.38

Where California sits

The same service costs 10.0 times more in Indiana than in North Dakota. 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.

California· 11th of 50

$4,467

IN $7,943ND $794

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.