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Chest Telescope With Biopsy Of Heart Sac

Alabama rates for HCPCS 32604

A thin telescope with a camera is passed through a small incision between the ribs so the surgeon can look inside the chest, and a piece of the sac surrounding the heart is taken for testing. The sample is examined in a laboratory to find the cause of fluid build-up, inflammation, or suspected cancer. It avoids the larger incision needed for open chest surgery.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Chest Telescope With Biopsy Of Heart Sac cost?

$794

Typical negotiated rate. In Alabama, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $794 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $646 from a physician practice, and about $3,311 from a hospital or other facility.

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.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$646$513 to $776
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$3,311$3,236 to $3,311

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,311 · 10th to 90th $1,349 to $5,129Professionalmedian $646 · 10th to 90th $447 to $776
$500$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $3,311professional $646

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$776.25
Median
$1,258.93
Typical High
$2,398.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$776.25
Median
$776.25
Typical High
$776.25
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,235.94
Median
$3,311.31
Typical High
$3,311.31
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Professional
Modifier
21 + 22 · Increased work + 24 · Unrelated visit after surgery
Typical Low
$478.63
Median
$660.69
Typical High
$812.83
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$549.54
Median
$4,897.79
Typical High
$6,025.60
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$549.54
Median
$645.65
Typical High
$812.83
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,288.25
Median
$3,311.31
Typical High
$6,456.54
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$371.54
Median
$478.63
Typical High
$707.95
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$389.05
Median
$389.05
Typical High
$389.05
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$154.88
Median
$154.88
Typical High
$154.88
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$588.84
Median
$588.84
Typical High
$588.84
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$117.49
Median
$117.49
Typical High
$117.49
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$77.62
Median
$77.62
Typical High
$77.62

Where Alabama sits

The same service costs 3.9 times more in Alaska than in New York. 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.

Alabama· 22nd of 51

$794

AK $1,905NY $490

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.