Knee arthroscopy cost without insurance
The median cash price for Knee arthroscopy is $5,627.51 across 720 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $1,694.49 and $14,281.45.
Knee arthroscopy uses a small camera and tools through tiny cuts to trim or repair a torn meniscus, rebuild a torn ACL or smooth damaged cartilage. It is almost always same-day surgery. The price depends on what is done inside the knee, and ACL reconstruction costs much more than a simple meniscus trim.
Collected Nov 10, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file
Knee arthroscopy prices by type
29881 is arthroscopy with a meniscus trim and is used in the state table; 29880 trims both menisci; 29888 is ACL reconstruction; 29882 is a meniscus repair; and 29877 is cartilage smoothing.
| Procedure | Hospitals | Middle 80% | Median | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee arthroscopy Knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim · code 29881 | 720 | $1,694.49–$14,281.45 | $5,627.51 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy (both menisci) Knee arthroscopy with removal of both torn meniscus parts · code 29880 | 632 | $1,471.60–$14,024.11 | $5,653.56 | — |
| ACL reconstruction Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction or repair of the knee · code 29888 | 617 | $2,647.62–$35,959.64 | $9,977.57 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy, meniscus repair Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair (one side of the knee) · code 29882 | 594 | $1,473.83–$24,287.89 | $6,014.40 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing Knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty) · code 29877 | 536 | $1,638.20–$14,352.24 | $4,903.16 | — |
What the hospital price covers
The hospital price is usually the facility fee for the operation. The surgeon, the anesthesiologist and follow-up visits bill separately, and so does physical therapy afterward.
“Most charge” is the middle 80% of hospitals (10th to 90th percentile), so one mistyped line in a hospital file cannot stretch it. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price for the code. “Medicare” is Medicare's 2026 national base rate for the same service outside a hospital stay, including the patient's share (the hospital outpatient, lab or hospital clinic rate); “median 3×” means the median cash price is three times that rate.
Knee arthroscopy: median by state
States with at least 5 hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its knee arthroscopy prices and cheapest hospitals.
- Minnesota$2,437.50
- Montana$2,710.18
- Iowa$2,892.00
- Oregon$3,201.43
- Louisiana$3,503.07
- Mississippi$3,534.36
- Arkansas$3,687.51
- Nevada$3,765.30
- New York$3,839.54
- Kansas$4,180.50
- New Jersey$4,367.60
- Michigan$4,612.44
- West Virginia$4,921.50
- Wisconsin$4,966.42
- Nebraska$5,082.37
- North Carolina$5,083.80
- California$5,148.00
- North Dakota$5,297.00
- Hawaii$5,375.30
- Pennsylvania$5,873.00
- Texas$5,896.44
- Tennessee$5,923.19
- Idaho$6,877.00
- Missouri$6,909.19
- Illinois$7,008.48
- Washington$7,035.28
- Oklahoma$7,526.10
- Indiana$8,181.61
- Arizona$8,247.26
- Colorado$8,279.10
- Kentucky$8,555.26
- Alabama$8,973.84
- New Mexico$9,017.81
- Massachusetts$10,075.00
- Georgia$11,309.00
- Virginia$11,539.12
- South Carolina$11,919.45
- Ohio$12,654.12
- Florida$14,294.80
Knee arthroscopy: median by metro area
Metro areas with at least 10 hospitals.
- Atlanta, GA$11,309.00
- Boston, MA$10,075.00
- Chicago, IL$8,410.39
- Dallas, TX$3,270.00
- Los Angeles, CA$5,148.00
- New York, NY$4,130.03
- San Diego, CA$3,575.50
- San Francisco, CA$7,324.80
Paying cash: what to do
- Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
- Ask whether the price includes the brace, crutches and physical therapy after surgery.
- Ambulatory surgery centers usually charge much less than hospital outpatient departments for the same arthroscopy.
Questions
How much does a knee arthroscopy cost without insurance?
The median hospital cash price for Knee arthroscopy (code 29881) is $5,627.51 across 720 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price; most charge $1,694.49 to $14,281.45. By state, the median runs from $2,437.50 in Minnesota to $14,294.80 in Florida. The hospital price is usually the facility fee for the operation. The surgeon, the anesthesiologist and follow-up visits bill separately, and so does physical therapy afterward.
How long is recovery?
A few weeks after a meniscus trim, and six to nine months before full sports after an ACL reconstruction.
Does arthroscopy help knee arthritis?
Usually not for arthritis alone; physical therapy and other treatments are tried first.
Is a meniscus tear always operated on?
No. Many tears improve with physical therapy.