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Cash prices California Outpatient

Cortisone shot cost in California without insurance

In California, the median cash price for Joint injection (cortisone shot) is $951.60 across 190 hospitals, from $47.25 to $14,634.16. The lowest is at Madera Community Hospital (Madera). The US median is $439.76.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Steroid injections, often called cortisone shots, treat joint, tendon and spine pain. They are billed by where the needle goes and whether imaging guides it. A shot in a knee or shoulder in a doctor's office is at the low end, while spine injections under X-ray in a hospital cost much more. The steroid itself is often a separate charge.

Collected Nov 8, 2026 One price per hospital: its lowest outpatient cash price for the code

Cortisone shot prices in California by type

20610 is an injection into a large joint such as the knee or shoulder and is used in the state table; 20605 and 20600 are medium and small joints; 20550 and 20552 are tendon and trigger point injections; 62321 to 62323 and 64483 are epidural injections; 64493 is a facet joint injection; 64635 is radiofrequency ablation; 64405 is an occipital nerve block; and 64615 is Botox for migraine.

ProcedureHospitalsRangeMedianUS median
Joint injection (cortisone shot) Injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound · code 20610 190 $47.25–$14,634.16 $951.60 $439.76
Joint injection (medium joint) Joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle) · code 20605 185 $65.50–$7,588.80 $608.40 $379.80
Joint injection (small joint) Joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes) · code 20600 165 $49.23–$7,588.80 $728.00 $359.00
Tendon sheath injection Injection into a tendon sheath or ligament (for example trigger finger) · code 20550 160 $61.50–$2,180.76 $660.40 $392.00
Trigger point injection Trigger point injections, 1 or 2 muscles · code 20552 174 $43.67–$2,317.70 $637.88 $392.80
Epidural injection, guided Lower-back epidural injection, with imaging guidance · code 62323 155 $275.00–$10,026.74 $2,220.40 $1,362.40
Epidural steroid injection Lower-back epidural injection, without imaging guidance · code 62322 135 $157.00–$7,946.00 $1,790.10 $1,235.50
Neck epidural injection Epidural steroid injection, neck or mid back, with imaging guidance · code 62321 135 $345.00–$10,416.45 $2,437.92 $1,391.40
Nerve root injection Lower-back nerve root steroid injection, with imaging guidance · code 64483 147 $229.50–$7,588.80 $2,042.12 $1,471.05
Lumbar facet injection Facet joint injection, lower back, one level, with imaging guidance · code 64493 148 $287.00–$7,588.80 $2,059.20 $1,538.11
Lumbar radiofrequency ablation Radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level · code 64635 104 $715.00–$13,000.00 $4,751.00 $2,606.00
Occipital nerve block Occipital nerve block (injection for headaches) · code 64405 141 $52.00–$7,588.80 $878.80 $540.00
Botox for migraine Botox injections for chronic migraine · code 64615 62 $192.00–$2,707.50 $878.12 $518.00
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 California. 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 Joint injection (cortisone shot) prices in California

Cortisone shot cost by metro area in California

Cortisone shot cost in other states

Paying cash: what to do

  • Ask whether the price includes the medicine and any ultrasound or X-ray guidance.
  • Orthopedic, sports medicine and pain management offices often charge less than hospitals.
  • Doctors usually limit steroid shots to a few a year in one spot, so ask how many you might need.