Joint injection (small joint) cost in Altoona, PA
In Altoona, PA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes): from $158.40 to $845.00, with a median of $501.70. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Altoona — $343.30 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $453.60 at 65 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 20600, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Altoona, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Altoona lowest Altoona, PA · (814) 889-2011 ARTHRO ASP/INJ SMALL JOINT | $158.40 | $264.00 | $18.00–$303.94 | 40% | — source file |
| Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 RHC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $845.00 | $845.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT | $3,574.00 | $3,574.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $3,574.00 | $3,574.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $158.40, median $501.70, highest $845.00 — a 5.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $501.70. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers injecting or draining a small joint, such as a finger or toe joint.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the injection. The steroid or other medicine may be billed separately.