Spinal tap cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 12 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $126.64 to $1,098.16, with a median of $580.00. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin — $453.36 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $580.00 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Mar 23, 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC SPINAL TAP NEUMUSCLN | $126.64 | $230.25 | $161.18–$218.74 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC SPINAL TAP NEUMUSCLN | $126.64 | $230.25 | $161.18–$218.74 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC PBB SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $177.55 | $335.00 | $96.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute Mequon, WI HC PBB SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $177.55 | $335.00 | $96.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI · (414) 649-6000 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro Cudahy, WI LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center West Allis, WI · (414) 328-6000 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$116,791.12 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Grafton Grafton, WI · (262) 329-1000 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Washington County Hartford, WI · (262) 673-2300 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Kenosha, WI · (262) 948-5600 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Summit Summit, WI · (262) 434-1600 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $580.00 | $1,160.00 | $696.00–$986.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC 62270 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $720.50 | $1,310.00 | $917.00–$1,244.50 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC 62270 LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $720.50 | $1,310.00 | $917.00–$1,244.50 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $1,098.16 | $2,072.00 | $96.88–$559.51 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $1,098.16 | $2,072.00 | $96.88–$559.51 | 47% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $126.64, median $580.00, highest $1,098.16 — a 8.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $580.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 9 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.