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Cash prices Washington Outpatient

Knee arthroscopy cost in Washington without insurance

In Washington, the median cash price for Knee arthroscopy is $7,035.28 across 16 hospitals, from $1,453.50 to $41,261.07. The lowest is at Kittitas County Public Hospital Dist 1 (Ellensburg). The US median is $5,622.74.

Washington law (RCW 70.170.060) requires hospital charity care: patients with family income up to 300% of the federal poverty level owe nothing at hospitals in large health systems (200% at other hospitals), with 75% and 50% discounts up to 400% (300% at other hospitals). It covers the part of the bill a patient owes, insured or not. Ask the hospital for its charity care application. Other states' laws.

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 6, 2026 One price per hospital: its lowest outpatient cash price for the code

Knee arthroscopy prices in Washington 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.

ProcedureHospitalsRangeMedianUS median
Knee arthroscopy Knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim · code 29881 16 $1,453.50–$41,261.07 $7,035.28 $5,622.74
Knee arthroscopy (both menisci) Knee arthroscopy with removal of both torn meniscus parts · code 29880 12 $1,547.00–$16,407.05 $7,137.53 $5,642.80
ACL reconstruction Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction or repair of the knee · code 29888 12 $2,176.00–$92,667.20 $12,261.27 $9,977.57
Knee arthroscopy, meniscus repair Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair (one side of the knee) · code 29882 12 $1,464.23–$39,311.63 $8,030.83 $6,014.40
Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing Knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty) · code 29877 9 $1,313.25–$65,482.74 $4,906.40 $4,899.91
Procedure The service and its billing code (CPT or HCPCS). Opens the comparison of every hospital that prices it. More
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Middle 80% Cash prices of most hospitals: a tenth of hospitals charge less than the first number (P10), a tenth charge more than the second (P90). More
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
US median The median cash price across all US hospitals that publish one for this code.

Outpatient cash prices in Washington. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest cash price for the code; prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Pick a procedure to compare every hospital in the state.

Lowest Knee arthroscopy prices in Washington

Knee arthroscopy cost in other states

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.