Spinal tap cost in Fresno, CA — inpatient
In Fresno, CA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $1,360.00 to $2,152.80, with a median of $1,713.20. The lowest listed price is at Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center and 1 other hospital — $353.20 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,320.80 at 92 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 24, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 15, 2026 and Jul 30, 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 Fresno, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center lowest Clovis, CA · (559) 324-4000 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $1,360.00 | $1,700.00 | $433.50–$52,580.00 | 20% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center lowest Fresno, CA · (559) 459-6000 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $1,360.00 | $1,700.00 | $433.50–$1,870.00 | 20% | Jun 18, 2026 source file |
| Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center lowest Fresno, CA · (559) 459-6000 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $1,360.00 | $1,700.00 | $433.50–$52,580.00 | 20% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center lowest Fresno, CA · (559) 459-6000 SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $1,360.00 | $1,700.00 | $433.50–$23,144.00 | 20% | Jun 18, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fresno Fresno, CA · (559) 448-4500 DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,066.40 | $3,690.00 | $837.00–$2,620.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Madera Community Hospital Madera, CA · (559) 706-8226 Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $2,152.80 | $3,588.00 | $81.91–$998.67 | 40% | Jul 30, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,360.00, median $1,713.20, highest $2,152.80 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,713.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 4 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.