Spinal tap cost in New York

In New York, 107 hospitals publish a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $87.80 to $4,881.00, with a median of $1,185.00. The lowest price is at Community Memorial Hospital (Hamilton). The highest price is 55.6× the lowest.

• The median here, $1,185.00, is 38% above the US median of $859.25.
• That is 1.6× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($721.17).
• New York ranks 44th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 40 of 107 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

New York law (Public Health Law §2807-k(9-a), as amended in October 2024): uninsured patients with income below 200% of the federal poverty level owe nothing for emergency and medically necessary hospital care; up to 400% they pay on a sliding scale of at most 10% or 20% of what Medicaid would pay. Emergency care is covered for New York residents, other care for people living in the hospital's service area; immigration status does not count. Ask for the Uniform Hospital Financial Assistance form. 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 11, 2026. See them on a map