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Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter

Pennsylvania 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?

$3,890

Typical facility fee. In Pennsylvania, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $3,890 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $2,188 to $6,026.

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 7 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,890 · 10th to 90th $832 to $8,511
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $3,890

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
$831.76
Median
$3,981.07
Typical High
$8,511.38
Capital Blue Cross
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$6,456.54
Median
$7,585.78
Typical High
$57,543.99
Geisinger
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,290.87
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$2,290.87
Highmark BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$4,570.88
Median
$9,549.93
Typical High
$21,379.62
Martin's Point
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$831.76
Median
$3,630.78
Typical High
$8,709.64
UPMC Health Plan
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$616.60
Median
$1,096.48
Typical High
$2,238.72
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,089.30
Median
$4,365.16
Typical High
$10,471.29

Where Pennsylvania 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.

Pennsylvania· 14th of 50

$3,890

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.