go back

First Fluid Tap Through An Infant's Soft Spot

Alabama rates for HCPCS 61000

A needle is passed through the soft spot or a suture line on a baby's skull to draw off fluid or blood that has collected between the brain and its covering. This is the first such tap, relieving pressure on the developing brain and providing a sample for testing. It is done at the bedside and takes only a few minutes.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does First Fluid Tap Through An Infant's Soft Spot cost?

$170

Typical negotiated rate. In Alabama, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $170 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $148 from a physician practice, and about $631 from a hospital or other facility.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 4 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$148$110 to $170
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$631$631 to $631

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $631 · 10th to 90th $398 to $1,413Professionalmedian $148 · 10th to 90th $105 to $178
$100$200$500$1K$2Kfacility $631professional $148

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$562.34
Median
$954.99
Typical High
$2,398.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$169.82
Median
$169.82
Typical High
$169.82
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$630.96
Median
$630.96
Typical High
$630.96
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$104.71
Median
$141.25
Typical High
$186.21
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$338.84
Median
$407.38
Typical High
$549.54
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$125.89
Median
$147.91
Typical High
$181.97
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$316.23
Median
$645.65
Typical High
$2,511.89
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$87.10
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$177.83
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$85.11
Median
$85.11
Typical High
$85.11
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$34.67
Median
$34.67
Typical High
$34.67
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$128.82
Median
$128.82
Typical High
$128.82
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$25.70
Median
$25.70
Typical High
$25.70
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$17.38
Median
$17.38
Typical High
$17.38

Where Alabama sits

The same service costs 4.4 times more in Alaska than in New York. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

Alabama· 31st of 51

$170

AK $513NY $117

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.