Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Buffalo, NY — inpatient
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 5 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound as an inpatient: from $477.00 to $1,386.27, with a median of $606.45. The lowest listed price is at Erie County Medical Center — $129.45 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $349.32 at 65 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 2 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 Aug 25, 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County Medical Center lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 ARTHROCENTESIS ASP/INJ MAJ JNT | $477.00 | $931.30 | $242.76–$3,120.00 | 49% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $606.45 | $606.45 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $606.45 | $117.26 | $21.78–$958.50 | -417% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $606.45 | $606.45 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital one side Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital one side Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo one side Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital one side Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital one side Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo one side Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Unilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Noncdm Charge Record | $1,386.27 | $1,386.27 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Arthrocentesis Large | $1,473.12 | $1,473.12 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Major Joint Or Bursa | $1,473.12 | $1,473.12 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo both sides Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital both sides Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital both sides Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $12.12–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital both sides Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Pbb Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital both sides Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$958.50 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo both sides Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US - Bilateral | $639.00 | $639.00 | $21.78–$639.00 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $477.00, median $606.45, highest $1,386.27 — a 2.9× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $639.00, median $639.00, highest $639.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $606.45 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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.