Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost in Bakersfield, CA

Prices at 3 hospitals in Bakersfield, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $856 — 3% above the US median ($830), roughly 5.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $782 $968 ★ 3/5 240 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $856 $1,089 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $1,130 $170 ★ 1/5 306 min —

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 October 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.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$2,109
Cash / self-pay
$856
Insurer-negotiated
$968
Medicare pays
$165
$797$1,075
Median cash $856  ·  Medicare $165  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $856 — about 5.2× 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 $2,109 list price could save about $1,253 (59%).

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.

All Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) prices in California → · All Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) prices (national) · All hospitals in Bakersfield