Spinal tap cost in Charlotte, NC — inpatient
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 14 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $331.02 to $2,612.00, with a median of $843.88. The lowest listed price is at Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital — $512.86 less than the median here. Across North Carolina, the median is $843.88 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 11 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 1, 2025 and May 11, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital lowest Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $331.02 | $1,226.00 | $422.97 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital lowest Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $331.02 | $1,226.00 | $422.97 | 73% | — source file |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $719.00 | $1,438.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB LP SPINAL/SHUNT TAP | $719.00 | $1,438.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB LP SPINAL/SHUNT TAP | $778.00 | $1,556.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $778.00 | $1,556.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $483.88–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $483.88–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,518.98 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $565.40–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $565.40–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Belmont, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $565.40–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Belmont, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $565.40–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,518.98 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,552.73 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $523.20–$1,485.22 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $523.20–$1,485.22 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,518.98 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,603.36 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $843.88 | $1,687.75 | $511.39–$1,518.98 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | $1,697.80–$2,481.40 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | $1,697.80–$2,481.40 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | — | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | $1,697.80–$2,481.40 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | $1,697.80–$2,481.40 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | — | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $331.02, median $843.88, highest $2,612.00 — a 7.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $843.88 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A spinal tap removes a small amount of spinal fluid from the lower back with a needle. It is used for meningitis, bleeding and some neurological diseases.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure. The lab tests on the fluid are billed separately.