Joint injection (medium joint) cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 7 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle) as an inpatient: from $114.75 to $1,235.52, with a median of $420.40. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Lincoln and 1 other hospital — $305.65 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $137.15 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 7 cities for code 20605, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest 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 lowest 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 lowest 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 lowest 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 lowest 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 lowest 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 |
| 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 |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 S-JOINT ASP-INJ IM | $420.40 | $700.66 | $700.66 | 40% | — 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $114.75, median $420.40, highest $1,235.52 — a 10.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $160.55 — 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 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.