Spinal tap cost in North Carolina
In North Carolina, 54 hospitals publish a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $267.92 to $2,612.00, with a median of $813.75. The lowest price is at Northern Regional Hospital (Mount Airy). The highest price is 9.7× the lowest.
- The median here, $813.75, is 5% below the US median of $859.25.
- That is 1.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($721.17).
- North Carolina ranks 22nd of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 5 of 54 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
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
Lowest$267.92Northern Regional Hospital
Median$813.75half of hospitals charge less
Highest$2,612.00in North Carolina
Lowest saves$545.83vs the median
Hospitals in North Carolina, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Regional Hospital lowest Mount Airy · Mount Airy, NC Lumbar Puncture,Diagnostic(ER) | $267.92 | $394.00 | Nov 12, 2025 source file |
| Duke University Hospital Durham · Durham, NC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $300.51 | $1,113.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Raleigh Hospital Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $300.51 | $1,113.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Puncture Spinal Lumbar Dx | $300.51 | $1,113.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC PUNCTURE SPINAL LUMBAR DX | $331.02 | $1,226.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital Tarboro · Rocky Mount, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic | $355.04 | $634.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Winston Salem · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $361.00 | $722.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Bermuda Run · Winston-Salem, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $381.00 | $762.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Lexington Medical Center Lexington · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $386.00 | $772.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Columbus Regional Healthcare System Whiteville · Whiteville, NC 62270 SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC | $453.52 | $647.88 | Sep 1, 2025 source file |
| ECU Health Duplin Hospital Kenansville · Kenansville, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $492.80 | $880.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rutherford Regional Medical Center Rutherfordton · Forest City, NC Spinal puncture, lumbar, diagnostic | $506.45 | $1,266.13 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Chowan Hospital Edenton · Edenton, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $548.24 | $979.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Frye Regional Medical Center Hickory · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC DX LMBR SPI PNXR | $592.78 | $1,481.96 | Jul 8, 2026 source file |
| Scotland Memorial Hospital and Edwin Morgan Center Laurinburg · Laurinburg, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $621.50 | $1,243.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Iredell Memorial Hospital Statesville · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC LUMBAR PUNCTURE-DIAGNOSTIC | $624.29 | $2,312.17 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Sampson Regional Medical Center Clinton · Clinton, NC Removal of cerebrospinal fluid with lower back spinal tap for diagnostic test | $644.70 | $921.00 | Nov 2, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Cary Hospital Cary · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Spinal Fluid Tap Diagnostic | $684.76 | $1,802.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Raleigh Campus Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Spinal Fluid Tap Diagnostic | $684.76 | $1,802.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Randolph Health Asheboro · Asheboro, NC LUMBAR PUNCTURE | $687.60 | $3,438.00 | Dec 30, 2024 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center Elizabeth City · Elizabeth City, NC Diagnostic Lumbar Spinal Puncture | $704.50 | $1,409.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Bertie Hospital Windsor · Windsor, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $746.48 | $1,333.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Outer Banks Hospital Nags Head · Kill Devil Hills, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $752.64 | $1,344.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wilkes Regional Medical Center North Wilkesboro · North Wilkesboro, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $755.00 | $1,510.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| Erlanger Murphy Medical Center Murphy · Murphy, NC HC Spine Puncture Lumbar Diag | $782.60 | $1,118.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital Elkin · Mount Airy, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $785.50 | $1,571.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Alleghany County Memorial Hospital Sparta · Sparta, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $796.50 | $1,593.00 | Aug 12, 2025 source file |
| High Point Regional Health High Point · Greensboro-High Point, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $831.00 | $1,662.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby · Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health University City Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Stanly Regional Medical Center Albermarle · Albemarle, NC HC ER SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAGNOSTIC | $879.00 | $1,758.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Harris Regional Hospital Sylva · Sylva, NC Spinal puncture, lumbar, diagnostic | $948.26 | $2,370.64 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Betsy Johnson Hospital Dunn · Anderson Creek, NC REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $982.80 | $1,638.00 | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Bladen County Hospital Elizabethtown · Elizabethtown, NC REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $982.80 | $1,638.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Hoke Hospital Raeford · Fayetteville, NC REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $982.80 | $1,638.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC REMOVAL OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH LOWER BACK SPINAL TAP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST | $982.80 | $1,638.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC DX LMBR SPI PNXR | $982.80 | $1,638.00 | Mar 22, 2026 source file |
| Person Memorial Hospital Roxboro · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Spinal puncture, lumbar, diagnostic | $983.60 | $2,459.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health North Hospital Roanoke Rapids · Roanoke Rapids, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $1,096.48 | $1,958.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Beaufort Hospital Washington · Washington, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic | $1,196.74 | $2,258.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Medical Center Greenville · Greenville, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic-ED | $1,196.74 | $2,258.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Hendersonville Hendersonville · Asheville, NC HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $1,530.00 | $1,530.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| East Carolina Health Ahoskie · Ahoskie, NC Lumbar Puncture Diagnostic | $1,673.84 | $2,989.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Polk Columbus · Columbus, NC HC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $2,229.57 | $2,229.57 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia Gastonia · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG LUMBAR PUNCTURE DX | $2,612.00 | $2,612.00 | May 11, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 13 | $331.02 | $879.00 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 3 | $982.80 | $982.80 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 3 | $300.51 | $684.76 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 3 | $361.00 | $381.00 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 2 | $300.51 | $642.06 |
| Mount Airy, NC | 2 | $267.92 | $526.71 |
| Ahoskie, NC | 1 | $1,673.84 | $1,673.84 |
| Asheboro, NC | 1 | $687.60 | $687.60 |
| Albemarle, NC | 1 | $879.00 | $879.00 |
| Anderson Creek, NC | 1 | $982.80 | $982.80 |
| Asheville, NC | 1 | $1,530.00 | $1,530.00 |
| Clinton, NC | 1 | $644.70 | $644.70 |
| Columbus, NC | 1 | $2,229.57 | $2,229.57 |
| Durham, NC | 1 | $300.51 | $300.51 |
| Edenton, NC | 1 | $548.24 | $548.24 |
| Elizabethtown, NC | 1 | $982.80 | $982.80 |
| Elizabeth City, NC | 1 | $704.50 | $704.50 |
| Forest City, NC | 1 | $506.45 | $506.45 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1 | $831.00 | $831.00 |
| Greenville, NC | 1 | $1,196.74 | $1,196.74 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 1 | $592.78 | $592.78 |
| Kenansville, NC | 1 | $492.80 | $492.80 |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 1 | $752.64 | $752.64 |
| Laurinburg, NC | 1 | $621.50 | $621.50 |
| Murphy, NC | 1 | $782.60 | $782.60 |
| North Wilkesboro, NC | 1 | $755.00 | $755.00 |
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 1 | $1,096.48 | $1,096.48 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 1 | $355.04 | $355.04 |
| Sparta, NC | 1 | $796.50 | $796.50 |
| Sylva, NC | 1 | $948.26 | $948.26 |
| Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 1 | $879.00 | $879.00 |
| Whiteville, NC | 1 | $453.52 | $453.52 |
| Windsor, NC | 1 | $746.48 | $746.48 |
| Washington, NC | 1 | $1,196.74 | $1,196.74 |
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
- Colorado$906.27
- 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 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.