Spinal tap cost in North Dakota
In North Dakota, 20 hospitals publish a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic: from $235.80 to $1,467.20, with a median of $862.97. The lowest price is at Southwest Healthcare Services (Bowman). The highest price is 6.2× the lowest.
- The median here, $862.97, is about the same as the US median of $859.25.
- That is 1.2× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($721.17).
- North Dakota ranks 28th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 20 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$235.80Southwest Healthcare Services
Median$862.97half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,467.20in North Dakota
Lowest saves$627.17vs the median
Hospitals in North Dakota, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Healthcare Services lowest Bowman · Bowman, ND SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAGNOSTIC 62270 | $235.80 | $262.00 | Oct 16, 2025 source file |
| CHI St Alexius Health Bismarck · Bismarck, ND HC SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DX | $556.00 | $1,112.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph's Hospital and Health Center Dickinson · Dickinson, ND LUMBAR PUNCTURE NSY | $610.06 | $1,034.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Williston · Williston, ND LUMBAR PUNCTURE NB | $617.65 | $1,123.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Lisbon Area Health Services Lisbon · Lisbon, ND LUMBAR PUNCTURE - PROC ROOM | $647.35 | $1,177.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Valley City Valley City · Valley City, ND LUMBAR PUNCTURE - PROC ROOM | $682.66 | $1,177.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Carrington Health Center Carrington · Carrington, ND LUMBAR PUNCTURE - PROC ROOM | $694.43 | $1,177.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Kenmare Community Hospital Kenmare · Minot, ND SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAG 62270 | $712.00 | $890.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Hospitals Minot · Minot, ND SPINAL FLUID TAP DIAG 62270 | $712.00 | $890.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Garrison Memorial Hospital Garrison · Garrison, ND HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $858.94 | $1,282.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Fargo Fargo · Fargo, ND-MN SPINAL PUNCTURE,LUMBAR,DX(T) | $867.00 | $1,156.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| CHI St Alexius Health Turtle Lake Turtle Lake · Turtle Lake, ND HC LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $871.76 | $1,282.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| McKenzie County Healthcare System Watford City · Watford City, ND ANES FAC DIAGNOSTIC LUMBAR SPINAL PUNCTURE | $1,095.25 | $1,685.00 | May 1, 2026 source file |
| Altru Hospital Grand Forks · Grand Forks, ND-MN HC SPINAL PUNCTURE,DIAGNOSTIC | $1,189.50 | $1,950.00 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Altru Hospital Devils Lake Devils Lake · Devils Lake, ND HC SPINAL PUNCTURE,DIAGNOSTIC | $1,189.50 | $1,950.00 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center Hillsboro · Hillsboro, ND ED 62270 SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAG | $1,208.80 | $1,511.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Mayville Medical Center Mayville · Mayville, ND ED 62270 SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAG | $1,208.80 | $1,511.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck · Bismarck, ND ED 62270 SPINAL TAP LUMBAR DIAG | $1,304.80 | $1,631.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Towner County Medical Center Cando · Cando, ND Hc Spinal Puncture,diagnostic | $1,458.00 | $1,458.00 | — source file |
| Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo · Fargo, ND-MN SURG 62270 SPINAL PUNCTURE LUMBAR DIAG | $1,467.20 | $1,834.00 | Mar 4, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 2 | $556.00 | $930.40 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 2 | $867.00 | $1,167.10 |
| Minot, ND | 2 | $712.00 | $712.00 |
| Bowman, ND | 1 | $235.80 | $235.80 |
| Cando, ND | 1 | $1,458.00 | $1,458.00 |
| Carrington, ND | 1 | $694.43 | $694.43 |
| Devils Lake, ND | 1 | $1,189.50 | $1,189.50 |
| Dickinson, ND | 1 | $610.06 | $610.06 |
| Garrison, ND | 1 | $858.94 | $858.94 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 1 | $1,189.50 | $1,189.50 |
| Hillsboro, ND | 1 | $1,208.80 | $1,208.80 |
| Lisbon, ND | 1 | $647.35 | $647.35 |
| Mayville, ND | 1 | $1,208.80 | $1,208.80 |
| Turtle Lake, ND | 1 | $871.76 | $871.76 |
| Valley City, ND | 1 | $682.66 | $682.66 |
| Watford City, ND | 1 | $1,095.25 | $1,095.25 |
| Williston, ND | 1 | $617.65 | $617.65 |
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 Carolina$813.75
- 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.