Joint injection (small joint) cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 7 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes) as an inpatient: from $83.06 to $1,543.68, with a median of $318.96. The lowest listed price is at Gateway Regional Medical Center — $235.90 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $138.13 at 30 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 7 cities for code 20600, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $83.06, median $318.96, highest $1,543.68 — a 18.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $139.10 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 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.