Joint injection (medium joint) cost in San Francisco, CA — inpatient
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for joint injection or drainage, medium joint (wrist, elbow, ankle) as an inpatient: from $313.48 to $1,025.20, with a median of $1,024.80. The lowest listed price is at Hayward Sisters Hospital — $711.32 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $608.40 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 11 cities for code 20605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 23, 2026 and Jul 22, 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward Sisters Hospital lowest Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 INJECT/ASPIR INTMED JNT W/O US | $313.48 | $1,044.94 | $731.46–$804.60 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Chinese Hospital Association San Francisco, CA · (415) 677-2480 Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint | $1,023.00 | $1,023.00 | $54.46–$2,356.00 | — | Jul 22, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ INTERM JT/BURS W/O US | $1,024.80 | $1,830.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Drain Joint/Bursa Intermed W/O US Guidance | $1,025.20 | $2,563.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $313.48, median $1,024.80, highest $1,025.20 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $1,024.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 11 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.