Spinal tap cost in Iowa
In Iowa, 31 hospitals publish a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $127.68 to $1,847.30, with a median of $342.40. The lowest price is at Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa (Corning). The highest price is 14.5× the lowest.
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 Sep 23, 2026.
Lowest$127.68Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa
Median$342.40half pay less
Highest$1,847.30in Iowa
Lowest saves$214.72vs the median
Hospitals in Iowa, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa lowest Corning · Corning, IA PC CRNA SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $127.68 | $266.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health Community Memorial Hospital of Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri Valley · Omaha, NE-IA PC CRNA SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $130.34 | $266.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque Dubuque · Dubuque, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City · Mason City, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital, Centerville Centerville · Centerville, IA PR Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $138.00 | $138.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Luke'sJones Regional Medical Center Anamosa · Cedar Rapids, IA HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAG | $305.60 | $382.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA Spinal Tap | $321.30 | $1,071.00 | Feb 15, 2026 source file |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake · Storm Lake, IA PR SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAG | $324.80 | $406.00 | — source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell · Grinnell, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Methodist Hospital Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital Dubuque · Dubuque, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Medical Center Bettendorf · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge · Fort Dodge, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Unity Healthcare Muscatine · Muscatine, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health Marshalltown Marshalltown · Marshalltown, IA PR DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $342.40 | $428.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DX | $343.14 | $817.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Winneshiek Medical Center Decorah · Decorah, IA Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $385.00 | $550.00 | Jul 17, 2026 source file |
| Central Community Hospital Elkader · Elkader, IA HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $603.85 | $929.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinic West Union · West Union, IA HCHG 62270 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR PERFORMED IN PACU | $781.70 | $1,316.00 | Jun 27, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Lumbar Puncture, OPCC | $871.20 | $1,452.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL GHS OPCC BACLOFEN TRIAL LP 1ST HR | $969.60 | $1,616.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Sheldon Medical Center Sheldon · Sheldon, IA ED 62270 SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAG | $974.40 | $1,218.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt · Clinton, IA GHS LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $1,052.40 | $1,754.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton · Clinton, IA HC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Diagnostic | $1,847.30 | $2,842.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 4 | $138.00 | $138.00 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 3 | $342.40 | $871.20 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 3 | $130.34 | $321.30 |
| Clinton, IA | 2 | $1,052.40 | $1,449.85 |
| Dubuque, IA | 2 | $138.00 | $240.20 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 2 | $138.00 | $240.20 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Centerville, IA | 1 | $138.00 | $138.00 |
| Corning, IA | 1 | $127.68 | $127.68 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $305.60 | $305.60 |
| Decorah, IA | 1 | $385.00 | $385.00 |
| Elkader, IA | 1 | $603.85 | $603.85 |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Grinnell, IA | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Marshalltown, IA | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Mason City, IA | 1 | $138.00 | $138.00 |
| Muscatine, IA | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Sheldon, IA | 1 | $974.40 | $974.40 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 1 | $342.40 | $342.40 |
| Storm Lake, IA | 1 | $324.80 | $324.80 |
| West Union, IA | 1 | $781.70 | $781.70 |
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.
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic in other states
- Alabama$1,721.50
- Alaska$1,437.54
- Arizona$488.15
- Arkansas$526.18
- California$1,320.80
- Colorado$491.58
- Connecticut$420.00
- Delaware$1,149.53
- Florida$1,597.40
- Georgia$2,049.06
- Hawaii$921.60
- Idaho$1,886.00
- Illinois$752.00
- Indiana$1,087.63
- Kansas$1,160.49
- Kentucky$769.21
- Louisiana$494.48
- Maine$369.70
- Maryland$511.30
- Massachusetts$1,047.90
- Michigan$707.85
- Minnesota$698.55
- Mississippi$271.01
- Missouri$340.57
- Montana$253.60
- Nebraska$343.14
- Nevada$785.35
- New Hampshire$495.55
- New Jersey$824.78
- New Mexico$500.01
- New York$819.50
- North Carolina$843.88
- North Dakota$890.99
- Ohio$1,038.60
- Oklahoma$507.55
- Oregon$562.50
- Pennsylvania$1,439.83
- Rhode Island$592.80
- South Carolina$719.00
- South Dakota$940.80
- Tennessee$282.90
- Texas$1,134.64
- Utah$746.52
- Vermont$240.10
- Virginia$936.20
- Washington$1,006.70
- West Virginia$995.75
- Wisconsin$580.00
- Wyoming$421.19
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.