Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at Baptist Health Paducah

2501 Kentucky Ave, Paducah, KY · Baptisthealth · · NPI 1730264128

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Sep 3, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$2,895.22

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$3,860.29

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$308.82 with HUMANA MCAID vs $3,860.29 with PASSPORT MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
HUMANA MCAID HUMANA MCAID $308.82 ↓ -89%
UHC MCAID UHC MCAID $308.82 ↓ -89%
MOLINA MCAID - ALL PLANS MOLINA MCAID - ALL PLANS $308.82 ↓ -89%
WELLCARE MCAID - ALL PLANS WELLCARE MCAID - ALL PLANS $308.82 ↓ -89%
AETNA BETTER HLTH MCAID AETNA BETTER HLTH MCAID $308.82 ↓ -89%
SIGNATURE ADV - ALL PLANS SIGNATURE ADV - ALL PLANS $623.59 ↓ -78%
ANTHEM MCR ADV ANTHEM MCR ADV $626.70 ↓ -78%
HUMANA MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS HUMANA MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS $654.77 ↓ -77%
ANTHEM BHS1 ANTHEM BHS1 $950.79 ↓ -67%
CARESOURCE-ALL PLANS CARESOURCE-ALL PLANS $1,122.45 ↓ -61%
AMBETTER/WCARE DIRECT IND - ALL OTHER PLANS AMBETTER/WCARE DIRECT IND - ALL OTHER PLANS $1,201.03 ↓ -59%
MULTIPLAN-ALL PLANS MULTIPLAN-ALL PLANS $1,235.29 ↓ -57%
ALLIANCE COAL - ALL PLANS ALLIANCE COAL - ALL PLANS $1,247.17 ↓ -57%
ANTHEM PATH HMO ANTHEM PATH HMO $1,343.00 ↓ -54%
ADVANCED MED -ALL PLANS ADVANCED MED -ALL PLANS $1,389.70 ↓ -52%
CENTER CARE - ALL PLANS CENTER CARE - ALL PLANS $1,419.04 ↓ -51%
AETNA-ALL OTHER PLANS AETNA-ALL OTHER PLANS $1,436.03 ↓ -50%
PHCS-ALL PLANS PHCS-ALL PLANS $1,436.03 ↓ -50%
HEALTHLINK-ALL PLANS HEALTHLINK-ALL PLANS $1,617.00 ↓ -44%
CIGNA - ALL PLANS CIGNA - ALL PLANS $1,690.81 ↓ -42%
ANTHEM BLUE TRAD - ALL OTHER PLANS ANTHEM BLUE TRAD - ALL OTHER PLANS $1,719.37 ↓ -41%
ANTHEM PATH HPN ANTHEM PATH HPN $1,888.00 ↓ -35%
ANTHEM BLUE ACCESS PPO ANTHEM BLUE ACCESS PPO $2,098.00 ↓ -28%
ANTHEM BLUE PREF HMO ANTHEM BLUE PREF HMO $2,098.00 ↓ -28%
UHC ALL PAYER-ALL OTHER PLANS UHC ALL PAYER-ALL OTHER PLANS $2,127.02 ↓ -27%
SIHO-ALL PLANS SIHO-ALL PLANS $2,702.20 ↓ -7%
PASSPORT MCR/MCAID PASSPORT MCR/MCAID $3,860.29 ↑ +33%
AETNA MCR ADV AETNA MCR ADV $3,860.29 ↑ +33%
PASSPORT MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS PASSPORT MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS $3,860.29 ↑ +33%

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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Kentucky hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Lourdes Hospital Paducah $6,294.00 $623.59 – $636.06
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Berea Berea $663.79 $372.19 – $1,227.59
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Mt. Sterling $531.03 $221.44 – $962.78
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph London London $595.92 $191.50 – $1,220.31
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph East Lexington $670.80 $269.33 – $1,002.82
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington $841.05 $286.35 – $1,109.29
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Flaget Memorial Hospital Bardstown $870.21 $169.00 – $871.78
Adventhealth Manchester Manchester $3,153.94 $588.59 – $588.59

All Kentucky hospitals for this procedure →