Joint injection (medium joint) cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle) as an inpatient: from $363.55 to $964.50, with a median of $608.40. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $244.85 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $608.40 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 20605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Aspiration Or Injection Of Medium Joint Or Joint Capsule | $363.55 | $661.00 | $43.57–$7,505.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 IR Joint Inj Wrist Elbow Ankle | $461.41 | $769.01 | $538.31–$599.06 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 20605-Intermediate Aspiration/Inj w/o US | $514.19 | $856.98 | $599.89–$667.59 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY IR Intermediate Aspiration/Inj w/o US | $519.78 | $866.30 | $606.41–$674.85 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $608.40 | $1,170.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $608.40 | $1,170.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $608.40 | $1,170.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Xry-Therp Inj Interm(Wrist,Elbow,Ankle) | $964.50 | $1,286.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $363.55, median $608.40, highest $964.50 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $608.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 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.