Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) cost in Massachusetts

Prices at 31 hospitals in Massachusetts, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $946 — 14% above the US median ($830), roughly 5.7× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Holyoke Medical Center Holyoke, MA $346 $787 ★ 4/5 253 min —
Sturdy Memorial Hospital Attleboro, MA $437 $846 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Boston Medical Center-Brighton Brighton, MA $536 $820 ★ 3/5 146 min —
Nantucket Cottage Hospital Nantucket, MA $537 $822 ★ 3/5 120 min —
Athol Memorial Hospital Athol, MA $563 $957 ★ 2/5 174 min —
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc,the Northampton, MA $727 $584 ★ 2/5 261 min —
Heywood Hospital Gardner, MA $763 $1,119 ★ 2/5 192 min —
Cape Cod Hospital Hyannis, MA $802 $905 ★ 2/5 201 min —
Falmouth Hospital Falmouth, MA $802 $852 ★ 4/5 160 min —
Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA $810 $756 ★ 4/5 274 min —
Newton-Wellesley Hospital Newton, MA $869 $642 ★ 5/5 265 min —
Martha's Vineyard Hospital Inc Oak Bluffs, MA $935 $624 ★ 4/5 157 min —
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA $946 $642 ★ 5/5 288 min —
Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA $946 $781 ★ 5/5 300 min —
Brigham and Women Faulkner Hospital Jamaica Plain, MA $946 $781 ★ 5/5 256 min —
Umass Memorial Healthalliance Hospitals Leominster, MA $1,020 $846 ★ 3/5 253 min —
Umass Memorial Health-Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA $1,020 $846 ★ 3/5 209 min —
Umass Memorial Healthcare-Marlborough Hospital Marlborough, MA $1,020 $846 ★ 2/5 226 min —
Umass Memorial Medical Center/university Campus Worcester, MA $1,020 $846 ★ 3/5 291 min —
Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA $1,028 $1,028 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA $1,595 $1,105 ★ 2/5 208 min —
North Shore Medical Center Salem, MA $1,744 $704 ★ 5/5 271 min —
Emerson Hospital W Concord, MA $1,745 $849 ★ 5/5 208 min —
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA $1,786 $1,003 ★ 3/5 208 min —
Berkshire Medical Center Pittsfield, MA $2,303 $382 ★ 4/5 254 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)
$1,191
Cash / self-pay
$946
Insurer-negotiated
$820
Medicare pays
$165
$516$2,303
Median cash $946  ·  Medicare $165  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $946 — about 5.7× 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 $1,191 list price could save about $245 (21%).

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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.

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