Joint injection (small joint) cost in Buffalo, NY — inpatient
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 5 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes) as an inpatient: from $109.57 to $591.84, with a median of $509.06. The lowest listed price is at Erie County Medical Center — $399.49 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $313.60 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 2 cities for code 20600, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Aug 25, 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County Medical Center lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 ARTHROCENTESIS ASP/INJ SM JNT | $109.57 | $431.21 | $242.76–$3,120.00 | 75% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $509.06 | $509.06 | $4.04–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $509.06 | $68.21 | $8.08–$958.50 | -646% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $509.06 | $509.06 | $8.08–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Aspirate Or Inject Small Joint | $591.84 | $591.84 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $4.04–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $4.04–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $8.08–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $8.08–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $8.08–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $8.08–$958.50 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $109.57, median $509.06, highest $591.84 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $509.06 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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.