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Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter

Virginia 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?

$1,445

Typical facility fee. In Virginia, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,445 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $398 to $5,888.

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 6 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,479 · 10th to 90th $245 to $8,913Professionalmedian $1,047 · 10th to 90th $631 to $1,950
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $1,479professional $1,047

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
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$309.03
Median
$1,819.70
Typical High
$7,079.46
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$5,888.44
Median
$6,760.83
Typical High
$7,413.10
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$173.78
Median
$912.01
Typical High
$2,511.89
Medcost
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,230.27
Typical High
$1,949.84
Medcost
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$234.42
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$1,412.54
Sentara
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$194.98
Median
$281.84
Typical High
$10,000.00
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$5,623.41
Median
$8,709.64
Typical High
$17,782.79

Where Virginia 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.

Virginia· 41st of 50

$1,445

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.