Joint injection (medium joint) cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 13 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle): from $94.90 to $1,282.23, with a median of $160.55. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital South — $65.65 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $137.15 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $94.90 | $146.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $111.80 | $172.00 | $251.65–$1,199.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$137.70 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$137.70 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$137.70 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$137.70 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$130.05 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Interm Jt/Burs W/O US | $114.75 | $153.00 | $61.20–$137.70 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $118.30 | $182.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $118.30 | $182.00 | $251.65–$387.54 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $118.30 | $182.00 | $31.27–$1,199.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Pf | $139.75 | $215.00 | $251.65–$1,106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Pf | $139.75 | $215.00 | $13.98–$215.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Pf | $139.75 | $215.00 | $13.98–$215.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $160.55 | $247.00 | $251.65–$1,106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $160.55 | $247.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $170.30 | $262.00 | $17.03–$262.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $188.50 | $290.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $188.50 | $290.00 | $301.61–$384.31 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $200.20 | $308.00 | $20.02–$308.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $298.35 | $459.00 | $29.84–$459.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid | $338.65 | $521.00 | $288.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC ARTHROCNT ASP/INJ JT INTRM | $397.44 | $552.00 | $154.56–$822.34 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid | $416.65 | $641.00 | $41.67–$641.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 S-JOINT ASP-INJ IM | $420.40 | $700.66 | $700.66 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $424.45 | $653.00 | $301.61–$384.31 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $531.05 | $817.00 | $3,897.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid | $531.05 | $817.00 | $301.61–$691.76 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $533.00 | $820.00 | $2,087.00–$3,194.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Bil Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid Pf | $538.20 | $828.00 | $251.65–$387.54 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $542.16 | $753.00 | $150.60–$753.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC ARTHROCNT ASP/INJ JT INTRM | $662.40 | $920.00 | $224.03–$920.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $662.40 | $920.00 | $224.03–$920.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Asp/Inj Interm Jt W/O US Guid | $674.05 | $1,037.00 | $239.00–$310.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $765.05 | $1,177.00 | $76.51–$1,177.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC ARTHROCNT ASP/INJ JT INTRM | $1,235.52 | $1,716.00 | $213.37–$1,716.00 | 28% | — 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 | $31.74–$501.82 | — | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC ARTHROCNT/ASP/INJ JNT INTRM W/O US GUID-BIL | $1,324.80 | $1,840.00 | $224.03–$1,840.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington both sides Washington, MO Bilat Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $507.65 | $781.00 | $3,199.00–$7,801.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South both sides Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Bilat Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $600.60 | $924.00 | $3,153.00–$6,631.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln both sides Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Bilat Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $737.75 | $1,135.00 | $2,087.00–$3,194.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis both sides Saint Louis, MO Bilat Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $796.90 | $1,226.00 | $79.69–$1,226.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson both sides Festus, MO Bilat Asp/Inj Intermed Jt WO US Guid | $1,275.30 | $1,962.00 | $3,428.00–$8,893.00 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $94.90, median $160.55, highest $1,282.23 — a 13.5× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $507.65, median $737.75, highest $1,275.30 — a 2.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $420.40. 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 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.