Spinal tap cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $393.48 to $5,030.40, with a median of $1,956.00. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Washington — $1,562.52 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,463.20 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 8 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 LUMBAR PUNCTURE FOR DIAGNOSTIC | $393.48 | $655.80 | $459.06 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $1,212.00 | $2,020.00 | $527.22–$1,717.00 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $1,230.60 | $2,051.00 | $738.36–$1,907.43 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $1,335.60 | $2,226.00 | $1,669.50–$1,958.88 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $1,704.00 | $2,840.00 | $985.48–$2,414.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Forbes Hospital Monroeville, PA · (412) 858-2000 HC PUNC SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $1,944.54 | $2,493.00 | $44.10–$402.00 | 22% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC PUNC SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $1,947.68 | $2,632.00 | $44.10–$402.00 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $1,956.00 | $3,260.00 | $1,173.60–$2,999.20 | 40% | — source file |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC PUNC SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $2,022.10 | $2,770.00 | $44.10–$402.00 | 27% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Regional Medical Center Jefferson Hills, PA · (412) 469-5000 HC PUNC SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $2,131.92 | $2,632.00 | $44.10–$402.00 | 19% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $2,132.40 | $3,554.00 | $1,087.52–$3,198.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $2,281.20 | $3,802.00 | $1,292.68–$3,041.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $2,515.80 | $4,193.00 | $1,677.20–$3,773.70 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 SPINAL PUNC LUMBAR DX | $2,715.60 | $4,526.00 | $2,941.90–$3,847.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $5,030.40 | $8,384.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $393.48, median $1,956.00, highest $5,030.40 — a 12.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $1,951.84 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 14 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.