Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) Cost — Compare Hospital Prices

Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) is a hospital service. Prices are from 2168 US hospitals across 52 states, from their machine-readable files.

$838median cash price · 2168 hospitals, 52 statestypically $285–$2,067 depending on the hospital

≈ 5.1× Medicare · High vs MedicareFind hospitals near you

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)

$1,501

Cash / self-pay

$838

Insurer-negotiated

$804

Medicare pays

$165

$285$2,067

Median cash $838 · Medicare $165 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)

Is this a fair price?

1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $838 — about 5.1× the Medicare rate ($165). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($330).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,501 list price could save about $663 (44%).

Estimate what you’ll pay

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

Lowest cash prices

See negotiated rates for your insurer:

Hospital	Location	Cash	Insurer	CMS rating	ER wait	Readmit
Henry Ford Health St John Hospital	Detroit, MI	$128	$147	★ 1/5	170 min	15.3%
Ascension St John Jane Phillips	Bartlesville, OK	$128	$147	★ 3/5	169 min	14.3%
Ascension St John Medical Center	Tulsa, OK	$128	$147	★ 3/5	195 min	13.8%
Ascension St John Broken Arrow	Broken Arrow, OK	$128	$147	★ 4/5	176 min	15.3%
Ascension St John Nowata	Nowata, OK	$128	$147	—	91 min	15.3%
Ascension St John Sapulpa	Sapulpa, OK	$128	$147	—	136 min	14.5%
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital	Lebanon, NH	$130	$186	★ 4/5	120 min	15.3%
San Juan Hospital	Monticello, UT	$131	$169	—	122 min	14.9%
Ortonville Area Health Services	Ortonville, MN	$135	$634	—	116 min	15.1%
Mercy Hospital Stoddard	Dexter, MO	$136	$142	★ 2/5	176 min	14.7%
Holy Cross Hospital	Nogales, AZ	$138	$138	—	141 min	—
Holy Cross Hospital	Silver Spring, MD	$138	$138	★ 2/5	314 min	15.5%
Mercy Medical Ctr	Springfield, MA	$138	$28	★ 2/5	278 min	15.7%
Cameron Memorial Community Hospital Inc	Angola, IN	$144	$83	★ 3/5	166 min	14.3%
Carroll County Memorial Hospital	Carrollton, MO	$146	—	—	104 min	14.9%
Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro, Inc.	Jonesboro, AR	$149	$957	★ 3/5	128 min	15.3%
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden, Inc	West Memphis, AR	$149	$957	—	147 min	14.7%
Baptist Memorial Hospital Union County	New Albany, MS	$149	$957	★ 4/5	144 min	14.1%
Baptist Memorial Hospital North Ms	Oxford, MS	$149	$957	★ 4/5	153 min	16.2%
Baptist Memorial Hospital Booneville	Booneville, MS	$149	$957	★ 3/5	106 min	14.4%
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center	Jackson, MS	$149	$957	★ 2/5	213 min	16.1%
Baptist Memorial Hospital Desoto	Southaven, MS	$149	$957	★ 3/5	255 min	15.7%
Baptist Medical Center-Yazoo	Yazoo City, MS	$149	$957	—	86 min	15.1%
Baptist Medical Center-Leake	Carthage, MS	$149	$957	★ 2/5	94 min	15.1%
Baptist Medical Center Attala	Kosciusko, MS	$149	$957	—	73 min	15.3%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated August 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

What insurers pay for Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)

Median in-network negotiated rate by insurer, across hospitals that publish it (cheapest first). Your actual rate depends on your specific plan and deductible. Cash / self-pay for comparison: $838; Medicare pays $165.

Insurer	Hospitals	Negotiated median
Medicaid	321	$37 $21 – $557
Univera	15	$72 $51 – $154
Medicare	536	$138 $26 – $820
Independent Health	35	$138 $55 – $820
Highmark	125	$157 $28 – $1,715
Amerigroup	164	$276 $113 – $1,649
Geisinger	69	$301 $55 – $2,055
Priority Health	56	$375 $98 – $996
AmeriHealth	212	$376 $55 – $1,701
Molina Healthcare	553	$507 $48 – $1,825
MVP Health Care	77	$564 $64 – $2,571
Medica	205	$592 $123 – $1,936
Harvard Pilgrim	44	$599 $138 – $1,616
Tricare / VA	387	$611 $33 – $1,032
Anthem	539	$620 $51 – $3,056
Centene / Ambetter	767	$628 $40 – $1,639
Blue Cross Blue Shield	1235	$650 $51 – $2,252
Devoted Health	169	$671 $223 – $775
Humana	992	$673 $65 – $2,569
UCare	79	$682 $52 – $1,328
HealthPartners	235	$689 $59 – $1,559
Sanford Health Plan	75	$689 $63 – $1,218
SelectHealth	45	$696 $138 – $4,882
Security Health Plan	65	$715 $138 – $1,469
UPMC Health Plan	108	$738 $59 – $2,867
UnitedHealthcare	1431	$743 $115 – $2,972
AvMed	37	$749 $138 – $1,525
Bright Health	57	$827 $607 – $1,767
Kaiser Permanente	229	$842 $76 – $2,299
Aetna	1331	$864 $132 – $3,237
Workers' Comp / No-Fault	128	$875 $122 – $1,766
EmblemHealth	62	$902 $365 – $12,590
Health Net	305	$910 $117 – $2,438
Coventry	145	$1,074 $158 – $1,757
MultiPlan / PHCS network	812	$1,191 $270 – $2,358
Healthcare Highways	48	$1,266 $404 – $2,251
Cigna	1132	$1,426 $239 – $5,423
Oscar Health	225	$2,194 $262 – $3,479

Negotiated rates are from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); payer names are normalized to major brands, so a brand may span several plans. Estimates — confirm with your insurer.

Where it’s cheapest

State	Median cash
Puerto Rico	$301
Tennessee	$332
Mississippi	$369
Montana	$478
Iowa	$478
Arizona	$488

Prices by city

Prices by state

Doctors who perform this

Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.

Clinician	Specialty	Location	Medicare services
Vijay Ramanan, MD, PHD	Neurology	Rochester, MN	306
Robert Gross, M.D.	Neurology	Aurora, CO	88
Clyde Markowitz, MD	Neurology	Philadelphia, PA	82
Armistead Williams, M.D.	Nephrology	New York, NY	82
Yadi Xu	Physician Assistant	Catonsville, MD	69
Heba Al-Sahlani, PA-C	Physician Assistant	Phoenix, AZ	63
Chadwick Hales, M.D., PH.D.	Neurology	Atlanta, GA	59
Chigolum Eze, MD	Neurology	El Paso, TX	58
Mark Clark, CRNA	Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)	Kennett, MO	52
Myassar Zarif, MD	Neurology	Islip, NY	52
Margaret Macomson, NP-C	Nurse Practitioner	Chapel Hill, NC	48
Joseph Zunt	Neurology	Seattle, WA	45

Browse doctors by specialty & city →

Does Medicare cover Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)?

Yes — Medicare generally covers Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). It is typically an outpatient service under Medicare Part B, with a Medicare-approved amount of about $165. After your annual Part B deductible, you typically owe the 20% coinsurance — roughly $33 — unless a Medicare Advantage or supplemental (Medigap) plan covers it.

General guidance from Medicare’s national rates — your actual coverage and share depend on medical necessity, your plan, and where the service is performed. Confirm with Medicare or your plan.

About these prices

Based on prices published by 2168 US hospitals across 52 states, the typical (median) cash price is $838, versus a chargemaster (list) price around $1,501, a median insurer-negotiated rate of $804, a Medicare rate of about $165. Most cash prices fall between $285 and $2,067 — a wide spread, which is exactly why comparing hospitals pays off.

How to save

Ask each hospital for its cash / self-pay price — for shoppable services it is often far below the list price.
Compare several nearby hospitals; prices for the same service can differ severalfold.
Request a written estimate and the billing code (CPT/DRG) before scheduling.
Use the Medicare benchmark above to judge whether a quote is reasonable.
If you are uninsured, ask about financial assistance or prompt-pay discounts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost without insurance?

The median cash (self-pay) price across 2168 US hospitals is $838. Most hospitals fall between $285 and $2,067. Prices vary widely between hospitals, so it pays to compare before you book.

Does Medicare cover Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)?

Yes — it is generally covered under Medicare Part B as an outpatient service (Medicare-approved amount about $165). After your Part B deductible you typically owe 20% coinsurance, unless a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan covers it.

What does Medicare pay for Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)?

Medicare pays about $165. We show this as a benchmark — a fair cash price is often within a few multiples of the Medicare rate.

Why do Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) prices vary between hospitals?

Hospitals set their own chargemaster and cash prices and negotiate different rates with each insurer, so two hospitals in the same area can charge very differently for the same service.

Is the cash price lower than using insurance?

Sometimes. If you are uninsured or have a high deductible, the cash/self-pay price can be lower than the insurer-negotiated rate — ask the hospital for both.

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