Spinal tap cost in Louisville, KY
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 4 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $126.28 to $1,270.20, with a median of $294.60. The lowest listed price is at Norton Clark Hospital — $168.32 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $769.21 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities 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 Feb 11, 2026 and Jul 16, 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Clark Hospital lowest Jeffersonville, IN · (812) 283-2147 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $126.28 | $902.00 | $367.11–$2,048.00 | 86% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,716.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,648.00 | 80% | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,716.00 | 80% | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,693.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,201.05 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,201.05 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,648.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,716.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,648.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,716.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE, DIAGNOSTIC | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,648.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LUMBAR PUNCTURE - OR | $282.60 | $1,413.00 | $233.15–$1,716.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Harrison County Hospital Corydon, IN · (812) 738-4251 Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $306.60 | $511.00 | $48.87–$459.90 | 40% | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 LUMB PUNCTURE DX(OTH THN FLUORO/CT) | $1,270.20 | $2,117.00 | $16.41–$1,905.42 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 LUMB PUNCTURE DX(OTH THN FLUORO/CT) | $1,270.20 | $2,117.00 | $16.41–$1,905.42 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $126.28, median $294.60, highest $1,270.20 — a 10.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $282.60. 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 4 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 1 it is 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.