Joint injection (medium joint) cost in Duluth, MN
In Duluth, MN-WI, 9 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle): from $244.80 to $363.38, with a median of $272.58. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital — $27.78 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $342.86 at 52 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 6 cities for code 20605, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Arthrocnts Aspir&/Njx Intrm Jt/Bursa | $244.80 | $450.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $244.80 | $450.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Virginia Virginia, MN · (218) 741-3340 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $259.36 | $413.00 | $94.99–$373.35 | 37% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 CT Guided Aspir &/or Inj Interm Jt | $272.00 | $500.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $272.58 | $413.00 | $136.70–$355.18 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $272.58 | $413.00 | $136.70–$355.18 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $272.58 | $413.00 | $136.70–$355.18 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Northern Pines Aurora, MN · (218) 229-4222 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $305.21 | $413.00 | $158.55–$413.00 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St Marys Hospital-Superior Superior, WI · (715) 817-7000 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $305.21 | $413.00 | $132.16–$373.76 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Moose Lake Moose Lake, MN · (218) 786-1367 DRAIN/IN MEDIUM JOINT/BURSA(T) | $305.21 | $413.00 | $164.37–$373.76 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC DRAIN/INJ INTER JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $363.38 | $855.00 | $149.20–$863.72 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Arthrocnts Aspir&/Njx Intrm Jt/Bursa|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $367.20 | $675.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 CT Guided Aspir &/or Inj Interm Jt|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $408.00 | $750.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $244.80, median $272.58, highest $363.38 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $367.20, median $367.20, highest $367.20.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $272.58. 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 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 medium-sized joint such as the wrist, elbow or ankle.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure. The medicine and imaging guidance are billed separately.