Spinal tap cost in Columbus, OH — inpatient
In Columbus, OH, 15 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $163.00 to $1,263.60, with a median of $843.05. The lowest listed price is at Mount Carmel Grove City and 2 other hospitals — $680.05 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,038.60 at 95 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 22, 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 Columbus, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Carmel Grove City lowest Grove City, OH PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $163.00 | $163.00 | $18.75–$163.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel East lowest Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $163.00 | $163.00 | $15.75–$163.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel Dublin lowest Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $163.00 | $163.00 | $18.75–$163.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Grady Memorial Hospital Delaware, OH · (740) 368-5145 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $501.80 | $772.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $638.95 | $983.00 | $441.37–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel East Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $638.95 | $983.00 | $441.37–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel Grove City Grove City, OH HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $638.95 | $983.00 | $441.37–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel Dublin Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $638.95 | $983.00 | $441.37–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital New Albany, OH · (614) 775-6600 HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $638.95 | $983.00 | $441.37–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Morrow County Hospital Mount Gilead, OH · (419) 946-5015 Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $800.93 | $1,232.20 | $455.91–$1,195.23 | 35% | Oct 22, 2025 source file |
| Berger Hospital Circleville, OH · (740) 420-8008 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $843.05 | $1,297.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DIAGNOSTIC | $1,071.00 | $1,190.00 | $773.50–$1,166.20 | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Pickerington Methodist Hospital Pickerington, OH Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH · (614) 566-9164 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 566-5000 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Dublin Methodist Hospital Dublin, OH · (614) 544-8000 Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grove City Methodist Grove City, OH Hc Spinal Puncture Lumbar Diagnostic Wo Img | $1,263.60 | $1,944.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $163.00, median $843.05, highest $1,263.60 — a 7.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $800.93 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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.