Joint injection (small joint) cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 13 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes): from $83.06 to $1,543.68, with a median of $139.10. The lowest listed price is at Gateway Regional Medical Center — $56.04 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $138.13 at 30 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 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 Jun 12, 2026 and Jun 12, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Regional Medical Center lowest Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 SMALL JOINT INJECTION | $83.06 | $138.44 | $138.44 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Mlp | $90.35 | $139.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Pf | $106.60 | $164.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Mlp | $131.30 | $202.00 | $251.65–$1,199.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Mlp | $131.30 | $202.00 | $29.88–$1,106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$160.20 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$151.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$160.20 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$160.20 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$160.20 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Small Jt/Bursa W/O US | $133.50 | $178.00 | $71.20–$160.20 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Mlp | $139.10 | $214.00 | $251.65–$387.54 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Pf | $154.70 | $238.00 | $29.88–$1,106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Pf | $154.70 | $238.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US Pf | $163.80 | $252.00 | $16.38–$252.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $302.90 | $466.00 | $3,153.00–$6,631.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC ARTHROCENT ASP/INJ JT SMALL | $318.96 | $443.00 | $124.04–$822.34 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $333.45 | $513.00 | $301.61–$384.31 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US | $333.45 | $513.00 | $29.88–$1,106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC ARTHROCENT ASP/INJ JT SMALL | $342.72 | $476.00 | $133.28–$822.34 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $401.05 | $617.00 | $2,087.00–$3,194.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US | $416.00 | $640.00 | $288.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $416.00 | $640.00 | $3,897.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC ARTHROCENT ASP/INJ JT SMALL | $542.16 | $753.00 | $150.60–$753.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $599.30 | $922.00 | $3,428.00–$8,893.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Sm Jt W/O US | $773.50 | $1,190.00 | $77.35–$1,190.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $1,282.23 | $1,282.23 | $30.86–$501.82 | — | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC ARTHROCENT ASP/INJ JT SMALL | $1,543.68 | $2,144.00 | $213.37–$2,144.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis both sides Saint Louis, MO Bilat Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $624.00 | $960.00 | $3,897.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South both sides Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Bilat Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $773.50 | $1,190.00 | $77.35–$1,190.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson both sides Festus, MO Bilat Asp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid | $1,023.10 | $1,574.00 | $102.31–$1,574.00 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $83.06, median $139.10, highest $1,543.68 — a 18.6× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $624.00, median $773.50, highest $1,023.10 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $318.96. 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 12 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 5 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.
6 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 20600 ($376.80). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $24.05 | file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $24.05 | file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $24.05 | file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Pf | $28.60 | file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Pf | $28.60 | file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MOAsp/Inj Small Jt WO US Guid Pf | $28.60 | file |