Spinal tap cost in Durham, NC
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, 1 hospital lists a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $248.50 to $248.50, with a median of $248.50. Across North Carolina, the median is $843.88 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 62270, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Regional Hospital lowest Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Diagnostic Lumbar Spinal Puncture | $248.50 | $497.00 | $29.62–$52.87 | 50% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital lowest Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Diagnostic Lumbar Spinal Puncture | $248.50 | $497.00 | $46.46–$342.33 | 50% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $300.51 | $1,113.00 | $179.08–$839.20 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham, NC · (919) 470-4000 Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $300.51 | $1,113.00 | $199.00–$1,113.00 | 73% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $248.50, median $248.50, highest $248.50.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $248.50. 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.