US Health Care Costs

Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)

CPT 62270 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 126 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,267, and most charge between $695 and $3,016 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,267typical cash price
$1,658typical commercial insurer rate
$2,343typical list price
126hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$1.8kID$1.9kMTNDMN$268IL$1.4kMI$971NY$3.0kMA$946OR$1.4kNVWYSDIA$1.2kIN$804OH$744PA$893NJ$919CT$936RICA$1.7kUT$1.0kCONE$397MO$906KY$2.8kWVVA$1.5kMD$1.0kDE$1.1kAZ$1.7kNMKSARTN$2.0kNC$879SC$695DCOK$1.4kLAMSAL$1.7kGA$1.9kHITX$1.4kFL$983PR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$1,722$1,722$1,722$1,329
Arizona2$1,692$1,219$2,164$1,430
California11$1,678$1,119$2,883$2,382
Connecticut1$936$936$936$166
Delaware1$1,107$1,107$1,107$3,278
Florida8$983$977$3,882$1,962
Georgia6$1,917$977$3,352$2,621
Iowa1$1,242$1,242$1,242$1,413
Idaho2$1,886$1,886$1,886$1,492
Illinois6$1,354$536$2,090$1,477
Indiana2$804$480$1,127$1,653
Kentucky2$2,781$2,781$2,781$1,490
Massachusetts3$946$946$2,303$623
Maryland1$1,010$1,010$1,010–
Michigan3$971$971$2,585$776
Minnesota1$268$268$268$1,046
Missouri4$906$697$1,935$1,409
North Carolina4$879$879$1,197$883
Nebraska1$397$397$397$1,495
New Jersey8$919$767$3,786$2,281
Nevada1–––$1,706
New York1$3,049$3,049$3,049$330
Ohio7$744$515$8,029$3,714
Oklahoma3$1,393$598$4,108$2,677
Oregon1$1,428$1,428$1,428$891
Pennsylvania8$893$611$1,491$996
South Carolina4$695$695$1,451$715
Tennessee2$1,959$1,959$1,959$1,598
Texas21$1,361$276$4,609$1,718
Utah2$1,041$956$1,125$1,078
Virginia6$1,485$1,485$1,485$2,606
Washington2$1,756$1,661$1,852$2,260
126 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost at a hospital?

At 103 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture) is $1,267, and most charge between $695 and $3,016. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,658. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for spinal tap (lumbar puncture)?

At 58 of the 98 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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