Spinal tap cost in Colorado
In Colorado, 34 hospitals publish a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $191.10 to $2,622.00, with a median of $906.27. The lowest price is at Childrens Hospital Colorado (Aurora). The highest price is 13.7× the lowest.
- The median here, $906.27, is 5% above the US median of $859.25.
- That is 1.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($721.17).
- Colorado ranks 30th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 8 of 34 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Colorado's Hospital Discounted Care law (HB21-1198): for qualifying patients with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, hospitals and the clinicians who work in them may charge no more than the greater of the Medicare rate or the Medicaid base rate, and monthly payments are capped. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital to screen you for discounted care. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 62270. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 9, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$191.10Childrens Hospital Colorado
Median$906.27half of hospitals charge less
Highest$2,622.00in Colorado
Lowest saves$715.17vs the median
Hospitals in Colorado, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childrens Hospital Colorado lowest Aurora · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HB=LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX (ED) | $191.10 | $294.00 | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Salida Hospital District Salida · Salida, CO Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $288.15 | $339.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Family Health West Hospital Fruita · Grand Junction, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $366.10 | $523.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins · Fort Collins-Loveland, CO PUNCT LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $440.10 | $1,117.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Yuma Disctrict Hospital Yuma · Yuma, CO 62270 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC TechFee | $444.75 | $593.00 | May 28, 2026 source file |
| Sterling Regional Medical Center Sterling · Sterling, CO PUNCT LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $474.99 | $1,115.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Banner North Colorado Medical Center Greeley · Greeley, CO PUNCT LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $499.30 | $1,117.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC SPINAL TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $515.15 | $1,471.83 | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Delta County Memorial Hospital Delta · Delta, CO LUMBAR PUNCTURE SPINAL | $531.23 | $1,328.08 | Aug 24, 2026 source file |
| Grand River Medical Center Rifle · Rifle, CO REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $539.50 | $1,079.00 | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| San Luis Valley Health Alamosa · Alamosa, CO SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $608.30 | $1,106.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| San Luis Valley Health Conejos County Hospital La Jara · Alamosa, CO SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $608.30 | $1,106.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Rangely Hospital District Rangely · Rangely, CO Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $710.65 | $1,093.31 | Sep 24, 2026 source file |
| Delta Health Hospital Delta · Delta, CO DX LMBR SPI PNXR | $758.90 | $1,264.84 | Apr 2, 2026 source file |
| Vail Health Hospital Vail · Edwards, CO XR Lumbar Puncture | $774.00 | $1,032.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| East Morgan County Hospital Brush · Fort Morgan, CO PUNCT LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $790.54 | $1,115.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Melissa Memorial Hospital Holyoke · Holyoke, CO Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $900.00 | $1,125.00 | Nov 7, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Health - Fraser Fraser · Fraser, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC WITHOUT IMAGING | $912.54 | $1,140.67 | Apr 28, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Medical Center Kremmling · Kremmling, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC WITHOUT IMAGING | $912.54 | $1,140.67 | Apr 27, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Medical Center-Granby Granby · Granby, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC WITHOUT IMAGING | $912.54 | $1,140.67 | Apr 27, 2026 source file |
| Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital Luther Eads · Luther Eads, CO Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $1,132.20 | $1,887.00 | Jun 29, 2026 source file |
| Gunnison Valley Hospital Gunnison · Gunnison, CO Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $1,236.75 | $1,455.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $1,306.20 | $1,866.00 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Lincoln Health Hugo · Hugo, CO 62270 lumbar puncture | $1,383.00 | $1,383.00 | Jun 4, 2026 source file |
| Boulder Community Health Boulder · Boulder, CO HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAG 62270 | $1,384.00 | $2,768.00 | Sep 16, 2026 source file |
| Pagosa Springs Medical Center Pagosa Springs · Pagosa Springs, CO 62270 - SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $1,504.24 | $1,880.30 | Sep 24, 2026 source file |
| Community Hospital Grand Junction · Grand Junction, CO REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $1,631.84 | $2,914.00 | Mar 13, 2026 source file |
| Aspen Valley Hospital District Aspen · Rifle, CO HC Spinal Puncture,Lumbar,Diagnostic | $1,912.00 | $1,912.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Avista Louisville · Boulder, CO HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,107.87 | $2,107.87 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,107.87 | $2,107.87 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,107.87 | $2,107.87 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,107.87 | $2,107.87 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,107.87 | $2,107.87 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Animas Surgical Hospital Durango · Durango, CO DX LMBR SPI PNXR | $2,622.00 | $2,622.00 | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 7 | $191.10 | $2,107.87 |
| Alamosa, CO | 2 | $608.30 | $608.30 |
| Boulder, CO | 2 | $1,384.00 | $1,745.94 |
| Delta, CO | 2 | $531.23 | $645.06 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 2 | $366.10 | $998.97 |
| Rifle, CO | 2 | $539.50 | $1,225.75 |
| Durango, CO | 1 | $2,622.00 | $2,622.00 |
| Edwards, CO | 1 | $774.00 | $774.00 |
| Fraser, CO | 1 | $912.54 | $912.54 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 1 | $440.10 | $440.10 |
| Fort Morgan, CO | 1 | $790.54 | $790.54 |
| Granby, CO | 1 | $912.54 | $912.54 |
| Gunnison, CO | 1 | $1,236.75 | $1,236.75 |
| Greeley, CO | 1 | $499.30 | $499.30 |
| Holyoke, CO | 1 | $900.00 | $900.00 |
| Hugo, CO | 1 | $1,383.00 | $1,383.00 |
| Kremmling, CO | 1 | $912.54 | $912.54 |
| Luther Eads, CO | 1 | $1,132.20 | $1,132.20 |
| Pagosa Springs, CO | 1 | $1,504.24 | $1,504.24 |
| Rangely, CO | 1 | $710.65 | $710.65 |
| Salida, CO | 1 | $288.15 | $288.15 |
| Sterling, CO | 1 | $474.99 | $474.99 |
| Yuma, CO | 1 | $444.75 | $444.75 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What spinal tap is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Spinal tap explained.
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic in other states
- Alabama$674.88
- Alaska$893.88
- Arizona$648.16
- Arkansas$680.68
- California$1,320.80
- Connecticut$1,147.50
- Delaware$1,149.53
- District of Columbia$999.97, 3 hospitals
- Florida$1,245.30
- Georgia$1,267.32
- Hawaii$1,283.10
- Idaho$842.55
- Illinois$969.60
- Indiana$1,025.25
- Iowa$603.85
- Kansas$554.40
- Kentucky$687.26
- Louisiana$458.49
- Maine$523.25
- Maryland$577.32
- Massachusetts$1,463.00
- Michigan$856.05
- Minnesota$742.15
- Mississippi$476.70
- Missouri$667.93
- Montana$436.00
- Nebraska$508.80
- Nevada$785.35
- New Hampshire$548.50
- New Jersey$943.92
- New Mexico$853.31
- New York$1,185.00
- North Carolina$813.75
- North Dakota$862.97
- Ohio$1,071.00
- Oklahoma$622.87
- Oregon$995.48
- Pennsylvania$1,222.50
- Puerto Rico$1,050.00, 3 hospitals
- Rhode Island$1,091.65
- South Carolina$1,012.46
- South Dakota$1,018.44
- Tennessee$402.00
- Texas$1,045.65
- Utah$765.59
- Vermont$844.20
- Virginia$859.25
- Washington$992.00
- West Virginia$1,005.50
- Wisconsin$605.00
- Wyoming$725.76
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.