Spinal tap cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $906.00 to $1,435.20, with a median of $1,170.60. The lowest listed price is at Curators of the University of Missouri — $264.60 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $340.57 at 26 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 62270, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 and Apr 1, 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAG AM | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $658.47–$684.04 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC-7E | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $658.47–$1,980.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC-SS | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC-OPU | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE-EF | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $0.01 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAG -JIR | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAG XM | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DIAGNOSTIC-EDOU | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC-CHPC | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $658.47–$1,980.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC-CBCC | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $658.47–$1,980.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC-PC | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $528.50–$1,328.80 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DIAGNOSTIC-SC | $906.00 | $1,510.00 | $658.47–$684.04 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE-EC | $1,087.20 | $1,812.00 | $634.20–$1,594.56 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC-JER | $1,087.20 | $1,812.00 | $658.47–$684.04 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR 62270 | $1,435.20 | $2,392.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $906.00, median $1,170.60, highest $1,435.20 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,170.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.