Joint injection (medium joint) cost in Houston, TX — inpatient
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 12 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle) as an inpatient: from $180.21 to $1,640.00, with a median of $1,314.50. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $1,134.29 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $631.51 at 96 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 20605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX DRAIN/INJ INTERM JNT/BURSA (WRIST/ELBOW/ANKLE) | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX ECHG EMG PROC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPN INTRDM EXT | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 ECHG EMG PROC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPN INTRDM EXT | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 ECHG PULMONARY PROC ARTHROCEN ASPIR&/R INJ INTERM JT BURSA | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 DRAIN/INJ INTERM JNT/BURSA (WRIST/ELBOW/ANKLE) | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX ECHG PULMONARY PROC ARTHROCEN ASPIR&/R INJ INTERM JT BURSA | $180.21 | $381.00 | $190.50–$304.80 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 ECHG EC PROC ART,ASP &/ INJ;INTE JNT /BURSA | $283.25 | $381.00 | $96.01–$304.80 | 26% | — source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX ECHG EC PROC ART,ASP &/ INJ;INTE JNT /BURSA | $283.25 | $381.00 | $96.01–$304.80 | 26% | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR INJ INTERM JT BURS W/O US | $732.31 | $1,093.00 | $437.20–$1,038.35 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR INJ INTERM JT BURS W/O US | $732.31 | $1,093.00 | $437.20–$1,038.35 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR INJ INTERM JT BURS W/O US | $732.31 | $1,093.00 | $437.20–$1,038.35 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (CT) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (CT) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (IR) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (IR) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (CT) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (IR) | $1,179.20 | $1,760.00 | $704.00–$1,672.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (R/F) | $1,180.54 | $1,762.00 | $704.80–$1,673.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (R/F) | $1,180.54 | $1,762.00 | $704.80–$1,673.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC ARTHROCENTESIS/ASPIRATION & OR INJ MED JOINT WITHOUT US GUIDE (R/F) | $1,180.54 | $1,762.00 | $704.80–$1,673.90 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,314.50 | $2,629.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC ARTHRO/ASPIR/INJ INTMD JNT/BURSA WO US | $1,640.00 | $3,280.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $180.21, median $1,314.50, highest $1,640.00 — a 9.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $1,314.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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 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.