Spinal tap cost in Fargo, ND
In Fargo, ND-MN, 2 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $867.00 to $1,467.20, with a median of $1,167.10. The lowest listed price is at Essentia Health Fargo — $300.10 less than the median here. Across North Dakota, the median is $890.99 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities 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 Jan 1, 2026 and Mar 4, 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 Fargo, ND-MN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health Fargo lowest Fargo, ND · (701) 364-8000 SPINAL PUNCTURE,LUMBAR,DX(T) | $867.00 | $1,156.00 | $309.81–$982.60 | 25% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo, ND · (701) 234-2000 SURG 62270 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAG | $1,467.20 | $1,834.00 | $63.25–$1,650.60 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo, ND · (701) 234-2000 ED 62270 SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAG | $1,467.20 | $1,834.00 | $63.25–$1,650.60 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo, ND · (701) 234-2000 TX RM 62270 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $1,467.20 | $1,834.00 | $63.25–$1,650.60 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $867.00, median $1,167.10, highest $1,467.20 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,167.10. 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 2 of 2 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.