Joint injection (small joint) cost in Bismarck, ND
In Bismarck, ND, 2 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes): from $198.90 to $636.80, with a median of $417.85. The lowest listed price is at St. Alexius Medical Center — $218.95 less than the median here. Across North Dakota, the median is $274.95 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities 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 Feb 28, 2026 and Mar 4, 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 Bismarck, ND.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Alexius Medical Center lowest Bismarck, ND · (701) 530-7000 HC DRAIN INJ ASP JNT BURSA SM | $198.90 | $390.00 | $257.40–$510.68 | 49% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND · (701) 323-6000 SURG 20600 ARTHROCENTESIS ASP INJ SM JNT BURSA WO US GUID | $636.80 | $796.00 | $35.62–$716.40 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND · (701) 323-6000 ED 20600 ASP INJ JOINT BURSA SMALL WO US GUID | $636.80 | $796.00 | $35.62–$716.40 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck, ND · (701) 323-6000 TX RM 20600 DRAIN INJ JOINT BURSA WO US | $636.80 | $796.00 | $35.62–$716.40 | 20% | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $198.90, median $417.85, highest $636.80 — a 3.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $417.85. 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 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. 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.