Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Birmingham, AL — inpatient
In Birmingham, AL, 5 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound as an inpatient: from $506.17 to $3,258.00, with a median of $3,258.00. The lowest listed price is at The Children's Hospital of Alabama — $2,751.83 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $902.38 at 12 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 20610, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 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 Birmingham, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $506.17 | $1,177.13 | $800.45–$1,177.13 | 57% | — source file |
| Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 877-1000 Hb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,092.25 | $1,092.25 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 783-3800 Hb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $3,258.00 | $3,258.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL · (205) 387-4000 Hb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $3,258.00 | $3,258.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL · (205) 620-8100 Hb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $3,258.00 | $3,258.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $506.17, median $3,258.00, highest $3,258.00 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $3,258.00 — 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 below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated and 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.