Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Atlanta, GA
In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, 19 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $176.00 to $1,282.00, with a median of $905.19. The lowest listed price is at Shepherd Center — $729.19 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $905.19 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 19 facilities across 13 cities for code 20610, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 25, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Center lowest Northwest Atlanta, GA PR ARTHCS ASP/INJ MJR JT | $176.00 | $352.00 | $105.60–$316.80 | 50% | — source file |
| Shepherd Center Northwest Atlanta, GA HC ARTHCS ASP/INJ MJR JT | $413.50 | $827.00 | $248.10–$744.30 | 50% | — source file |
| Wellstar Cobb Hospital Austell, GA · (770) 732-4000 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Paulding Hospital Hiram, GA · (470) 644-7000 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Marietta, GA · (770) 793-5000 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar North Fulton Hospital Roswell, GA · (770) 751-2500 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital Griffin, GA · (770) 228-2721 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Sylvan Grove Hospital Jackson, GA · (770) 775-7861 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Douglas Hospital Douglasville, GA · (770) 949-1500 Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital Marietta, GA Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wellstar Roosevelt Long Term Acute Care At Warm Sp Warm Springs, GA Hc Inj/Asp/Drn Bursa Major Joint Wo Us Guidance | $905.19 | $2,321.00 | — | 61% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance | $966.00 | $966.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance | $966.00 | $966.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance | $966.00 | $966.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-8500 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Josephs Hospital of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (678) 843-7001 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Saint Josephs Hospital of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (678) 843-7001 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Emory Decatur Hospital Decatur, GA · (404) 501-1000 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Decatur Hospital Decatur, GA · (404) 501-1000 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital Lithonia, GA · (404) 501-8040 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital Lithonia, GA · (404) 501-8040 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital Johns Creek, GA · (678) 474-7000 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital Johns Creek, GA · (678) 474-7000 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Health Resource Decatur, GA Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Health Resource Decatur, GA Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Es Rehabilitation Atlanta, GA Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Es Rehabilitation Atlanta, GA Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Crawford Long Hospital Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-2450 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Crawford Long Hospital Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-2450 Hc Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-8500 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,282.00 | $1,282.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Drain Inject-Shoulder Hip Knee | $1,283.00 | $1,283.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance | $1,425.00 | $1,425.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta both sides Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance Bilateral | $1,785.00 | $1,785.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta both sides Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance Bilateral | $1,785.00 | $1,785.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta both sides Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 Arthrocentesis, Major Joint or Bursa, W/O US Guidance Bilateral | $1,785.00 | $1,785.00 | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $176.00, median $905.19, highest $1,282.00 — a 7.3× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $1,785.00, median $1,785.00, highest $1,785.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $905.19. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.