Spinal tap cost in Santa Maria, CA
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $787.52 to $787.52, with a median of $787.52. Across California, the median is $1,224.30 at 137 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 62270, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dignity Health lowest Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $787.52 | $1,840.00 | $93.99–$7,160.00 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBER DX | $1,010.08 | $2,360.00 | $93.99–$7,160.00 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $787.52, median $787.52, highest $787.52.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $787.52. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.