Spinal tap cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 7 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $488.73 to $1,320.80, with a median of $1,166.55. The lowest listed price is at Tri-City Medical Center — $677.82 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,320.80 at 92 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center lowest Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY NM SPINAL PUNCT LUMBAR DX | $488.73 | $814.55 | $82.73–$6,640.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Dx Lmbr Spi Pnxr | $567.75 | $757.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 62270 LUMBAR PUNCTURE CHARGE | $809.78 | $1,349.64 | $82.73–$6,640.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Lumbar puncture peds/infant | $809.78 | $1,349.64 | $82.73–$6,640.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY INJ LUMBAR SPINE DIAGNOSTIC | $809.78 | $1,349.64 | $82.73–$6,640.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 THORACENTESIS/PUNCT/ASP | $903.00 | $3,750.77 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0940155 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 SPINAL FLUID TAP, DIAGNOSTIC | $903.00 | $3,750.77 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0800151 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0900159 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0920157 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0950154 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 4002549 | $903.00 | $3,750.77 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0910158 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0960153 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 0930156 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX - 62270 - 4102471 | $903.00 | $1,630.14 | $117.49–$3,750.77 | 45% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 62270-Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic | $941.44 | $1,569.06 | $82.73–$3,004.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Spinal Tap For Diagnosis | $1,166.55 | $2,121.00 | $93.99–$7,757.98 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $1,320.80 | $2,540.00 | $687.00–$2,043.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $1,320.80 | $2,540.00 | $687.00–$2,043.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $1,320.80 | $2,540.00 | $687.00–$2,043.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Spinal Tap For Diagnosis | $2,057.25 | $3,740.45 | $18.00–$5,480.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $488.73, median $1,166.55, highest $1,320.80 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,243.68. 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 6 of 6 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.