Surgery and procedures CPT 20610 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Carlsbad, NM — inpatient

In Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 1 hospital lists a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound as an inpatient: from $112.80 to $112.80, with a median of $112.80. Across New Mexico, the median is $351.12 at 9 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 20610, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 20, 2026 and Feb 20, 2026.

Lowest$112.80Artesia General Hospital
Median$112.80half pay less
Highest$112.80in 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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM.

median
Lowest $112.80Highest $951.60

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Artesia General Hospital lowest Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 20610 ARTHROCENT MAJOR JOINT $112.80 $188.00 $51.32–$178.60 40% Feb 20, 2026
source file
Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 ARTHROCNT ASPIR&/INJ MAJ JT/BURSA W/O US $804.00 $1,340.00 $365.82–$1,273.00 40% Feb 20, 2026
source file
Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 IR INJECTION MAJOR JOINT W/OUT US GUI $951.60 $1,586.00 $432.98–$1,506.70 40% Feb 20, 2026
source file
Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 INJECT JOINT LARGE $951.60 $1,586.00 $432.98–$1,506.70 40% Feb 20, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $112.80, median $112.80, highest $112.80.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $483.73 — 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. 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.