Spinal tap cost in Watertown, NY — inpatient
In Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, 1 hospital lists a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $123.00 to $123.00, with a median of $123.00. Across New York, the median is $945.93 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 2, 2026 and Feb 2, 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samaritan Medical Center lowest St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 DX LUMBAR SPINE PNXR PC | $123.00 | $123.00 | $52.67–$881.14 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 SPINAL PUNCTURE PC | $367.00 | $367.00 | $52.67–$881.14 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 SPINAL PUNC.LUMBAR.DIAGNOSTIC | $600.50 | $600.50 | $52.67–$881.14 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $600.50 | $600.50 | $52.67–$881.14 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 DX LUMBAR SPINE PNXR TC | $1,440.50 | $1,440.50 | $1,152.40 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DX | $1,566.50 | $1,566.50 | $1,253.20 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $1,765.50 | $1,765.50 | $1,412.40 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Medical Center St. Watertown, NY · (315) 785-4000 SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $2,680.50 | $2,680.50 | $2,144.40 | — | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $123.00, median $123.00, highest $123.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $123.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.