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First Fluid Tap Through An Infant's Soft Spot

Arkansas 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?

$355

Typical negotiated rate. In Arkansas, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $355 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $162 from a physician practice, and about $661 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$162$135 to $200
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$661$363 to $676

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $661 · 10th to 90th $302 to $1,072Professionalmedian $162 · 10th to 90th $102 to $219
$100$200$500$1K$2Kfacility $661professional $162

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
$134.90
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$2,454.71
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$131.83
Median
$134.90
Typical High
$147.91
BCBS Arkansas
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$363.08
Median
$660.69
Typical High
$891.25
BCBS Arkansas
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$162.18
Median
$162.18
Typical High
$213.80
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$354.81
Median
$380.19
Typical High
$549.54
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$97.72
Median
$190.55
Typical High
$245.47
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$269.15
Median
$389.05
Typical High
$1,548.82
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$97.72
Median
$120.23
Typical High
$229.09
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
$66.07
Median
$67.61
Typical High
$69.18
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$26.30
Median
$26.92
Typical High
$27.54
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$97.72
Median
$102.33
Typical High
$102.33
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$19.50
Median
$20.42
Typical High
$20.42
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$13.18
Median
$13.49
Typical High
$13.80

Where Arkansas 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.

Arkansas· 6th of 51

$355

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.