Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Albany, NY
In Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, 3 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $98.00 to $165.00, with a median of $165.00. The lowest listed price is at Sunnyview Rehab Hospital — $67.00 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $349.32 at 65 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 20610, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyview Rehab Hospital lowest Schenectady, NY · (518) 382-4500 PR Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Injection Major Joint/Bursa W/O U/S Guidance | $98.00 | $98.00 | $12.26–$196.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Peters Hospital Albany, NY · (518) 525-1550 PR Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Injection Major Joint/Bursa W/O U/S Guidance | $165.00 | $165.00 | $18.53–$330.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital Troy, NY · (518) 427-3402 PR Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Injection Major Joint/Bursa W/O U/S Guidance | $165.00 | $165.00 | $18.53–$330.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital one side Troy, NY · (518) 427-3402 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Rt | $224.25 | — | $5.93–$5,286.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sunnyview Rehab Hospital one side Schenectady, NY · (518) 382-4500 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Lt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $37.97–$912.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital one side Troy, NY · (518) 427-3402 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Rt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $42.14–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Peters Hospital one side Albany, NY · (518) 525-1550 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Lt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $58.99–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital one side Troy, NY · (518) 427-3402 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Lt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $42.14–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sunnyview Rehab Hospital one side Schenectady, NY · (518) 382-4500 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Rt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $37.97–$912.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Peters Hospital one side Albany, NY · (518) 525-1550 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Rt | $592.80 | $912.00 | $58.99–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital Troy, NY · (518) 427-3402 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Bl | $889.20 | $1,368.00 | $42.14–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sunnyview Rehab Hospital Schenectady, NY · (518) 382-4500 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Bl | $889.20 | $1,368.00 | $37.97–$1,368.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Peters Hospital Albany, NY · (518) 525-1550 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Bl | $889.20 | $1,368.00 | $58.99–$8,680.50 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Peters Hospital one side Albany, NY · (518) 525-1550 HC Arthrocentesis/Aspiration/Inj Major Joint/Bursa W/O US Guidance Rt | $1,131.81 | — | $30.15–$8,680.50 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $98.00, median $165.00, highest $165.00 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $114.00. 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 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 none is it 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 procedure uses a needle to inject medicine into, or draw fluid out of, a large joint such as the knee, shoulder or hip, or a large bursa. It is commonly used for arthritis or bursitis pain, or to test joint fluid.
What the price covers
The price covers the injection or drainage procedure for one joint. The drug itself, such as a steroid or gel injection, and any lab test of the fluid are billed separately.