Prices at 5 hospitals in Rochester, NY, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $805 — 3% below the US median ($830), roughly 4.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester General Hospital | Rochester, NY | $502 | $154 | ★ 2/5 | 233 min | — |
| Unity Hospital | Rochester, NY | $805 | $89 | ★ 2/5 | 299 min | — |
| Unity Specialty Hospital | Rochester, NY | $805 | $89 | — | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $805 — about 4.9× 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 $1,006 list price could save about $201 (20%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Rochester
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Shuff, PA | Physician Assistant | Rochester, NY | 16 |
| Refat Assad, DO | Neurology | Rochester, NY | 15 |
| George Heeks, ACNP | Nurse Practitioner | Rochester, NY | 12 |
All Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) prices in New York → · All Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) prices (national) · All hospitals in Rochester