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Placement of a Tunneled Chest Drainage Catheter

Washington 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?

$1,698

Typical facility fee. In Washington, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,698 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $537 to $6,310.

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 8 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,698 · 10th to 90th $347 to $11,749
$500$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $1,698

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
$295.12
Median
$1,949.84
Typical High
$10,715.19
Asuris Northwest Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$7,244.36
Median
$10,715.19
Typical High
$19,054.61
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,162.28
Median
$3,162.28
Typical High
$5,248.07
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$323.59
Median
$1,122.02
Typical High
$5,888.44
Pacific Source
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$912.01
Median
$1,445.44
Typical High
$1,513.56
Premera BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,122.02
Typical High
$1,122.02
Regence BlueShield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$7,079.46
Median
$10,471.29
Typical High
$18,620.87
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,162.28
Median
$11,220.18
Typical High
$20,417.38

Where Washington 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.

Washington· 38th of 50

$1,698

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.