Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost in Delaware

Prices at 6 hospitals in Delaware, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,164 — 40% above the US median ($830), roughly 7.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Bayhealth Medical Center, Kent Campus Dover, DE $1,107 $992 ★ 2/5 268 min —
Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus Milford, DE $1,107 $961 ★ 3/5 252 min —
St Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE $1,128 $859 ★ 3/5 192 min —
Beebe Medical Center Lewes, DE $1,201 $105 ★ 3/5 174 min —
Tidalhealth Nanticoke, Inc. Seaford, DE $1,647 $1,219 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware Wilmington, DE $1,695 $1,102 — — —

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)
$1,530
Cash / self-pay
$1,164
Insurer-negotiated
$977
Medicare pays
$165
$1,107$1,671
Median cash $1,164  ·  Medicare $165  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,164 — about 7.1× 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 $1,530 list price could save about $366 (24%).

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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.

Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost in other states

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