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Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter

North Carolina 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?

$1,349

Typical facility fee. In North Carolina, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,349 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $794 to $4,266.

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 4 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,349 · 10th to 90th $204 to $6,918
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $1,349

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
$204.17
Median
$2,691.53
Typical High
$6,918.31
Medcost
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$199.53
Median
$676.08
Typical High
$1,348.96
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,388.44
Median
$8,912.51
Typical High
$16,982.44
Wellcare
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$56.23
Median
$12,882.50
Typical High
$12,882.50

Where North Carolina 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.

North Carolina· 43rd of 50

$1,349

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.