Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 13 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $162.18 to $1,591.37, with a median of $714.60. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center — $552.42 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $696.00 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 7 cities for code 20610, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Arthrocent Inject Lg Joint W/O Us Guide | $162.18 | $318.00 | $79.50–$318.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us|By Midlevel | $168.81 | $331.00 | $26.62–$276.56 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us|By Specialist | $168.81 | $331.00 | $31.32–$331.00 | 49% | — source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Hod Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $195.75 | $261.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Arthrocent Inject C Sed Lg W/O Us | $219.81 | $431.00 | $95.29–$431.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Hod Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $345.75 | $461.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $345.75 | $461.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Hod Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $345.75 | $461.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $345.75 | $461.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Inj/Drain Joint Bursa Large W/O Us | $391.20 | $978.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Inj/Aspirate Joint - Lrg W/O Us Guide | $415.65 | $815.00 | $95.29–$815.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Drain/Inj Joint/Bursa W/O US | $558.00 | $744.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Drain/Inj Joint/Bursa W/O US | $558.00 | $744.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Arthro Asp/Inj Lrg Joint WO US Guid | $598.33 | $797.77 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | $304.32 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $714.60 | $1,191.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Asp Injection Major Joint | $750.60 | $1,251.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Asp Injection Major Joint | $750.60 | $1,251.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Asp Injection Major Joint | $750.60 | $1,251.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Asp Injection Major Joint | $750.60 | $1,251.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Asp Injection Major Joint | $750.60 | $1,251.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Arthrocentesis Asp/Inj Major Joint/Burs (W/O Us) | $1,327.60 | $3,319.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $1,343.88 | $2,239.80 | $299.13–$305.11 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $1,348.68 | $2,247.80 | $299.13 | 40% | — source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Arthrocentesis/Aspir/A/O Inj Major Jnt | $1,591.37 | $2,652.29 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Arthrocentesis/Aspir/A/O Inj Major Jnt | $1,591.37 | $2,652.29 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Arthrocent/Aspiration Maj Jnt | $6,226.38 | $10,377.30 | $299.13–$305.11 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $162.18, median $714.60, highest $1,591.37 — a 9.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $714.60. 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 1 of 2 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.