Surgery and procedures CPT 20610 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Barre, VT — inpatient

In Barre, VT, 1 hospital lists a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound as an inpatient: from $505.15 to $505.15, with a median of $505.15. Across Vermont, the median is $123.90 at 7 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 20610, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 28, 2026 and Apr 28, 2026.

Lowest$505.15Central Vermont Medical Center
Median$505.15half pay less
Highest$505.15in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Barre, VT.

median
Lowest $505.15Highest $541.01

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Central Vermont Medical Center lowest Berlin, VT PR ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US $505.15 $505.15 $41.02–$404.12 — Apr 28, 2026
source file
Central Vermont Medical Center Berlin, VT HC - ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US $541.01 $541.01 $220.19–$537.76 — Apr 28, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $505.15, median $505.15, highest $505.15.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $505.15 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not 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.