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First Fluid Tap Through An Infant's Soft Spot

Tennessee 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?

$437

Typical negotiated rate. In Tennessee, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $437 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $155 from a physician practice, and about $851 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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$155$117 to $372
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$851$490 to $1,479

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $851 · 10th to 90th $389 to $2,138Professionalmedian $155 · 10th to 90th $100 to $1,000
$100$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $851professional $155

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
$891.25
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$7,585.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$100.00
Median
$102.33
Typical High
$162.18
BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$398.11
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$1,862.09
BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$114.82
Median
$151.36
Typical High
$281.84
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$389.05
Median
$512.86
Typical High
$1,659.59
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$100.00
Median
$128.82
Typical High
$234.42
Lucent Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$794.33
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$1,000.00
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$346.74
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$2,511.89
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$102.33
Median
$147.91
Typical High
$239.88
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
$50.12
Median
$51.29
Typical High
$74.13
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$19.95
Median
$20.42
Typical High
$29.51
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$75.86
Median
$77.62
Typical High
$109.65
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$15.14
Median
$15.49
Typical High
$21.88
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$10.00
Median
$10.23
Typical High
$14.79

Where Tennessee sits

The same service costs 4.4 times more in Alaska than in Kentucky. 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.

Tennessee· 4th of 51

$437

AK $513KY $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.