Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Duluth, MN — inpatient
In Duluth, MN-WI, 9 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound as an inpatient: from $124.53 to $363.59, with a median of $291.06. The lowest listed price is at Range Regional Health Services — $166.53 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $369.26 at 54 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 6 cities for code 20610, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Regional Health Services lowest Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 PR DRAIN/INJ MAJOR JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $124.53 | $293.00 | $29.91–$289.03 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC DRAIN/INJ MAJOR JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $153.00 | $360.00 | $163.80–$358.24 | 58% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Virginia Virginia, MN · (218) 741-3340 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $276.95 | $441.00 | $189.14–$397.34 | 37% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Drain/Inject, Joint/Bursa | $288.86 | $531.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $288.86 | $531.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $291.06 | $441.00 | $189.14–$379.26 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $291.06 | $441.00 | $189.14–$379.26 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $291.06 | $441.00 | $182.40–$379.26 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 CT Guided Aspir &/or Inj Major Jt | $362.85 | $667.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Northern Pines Aurora, MN · (218) 229-4222 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $363.59 | $492.00 | $197.78–$492.00 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St Marys Hospital-Superior Superior, WI · (715) 817-7000 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $363.59 | $492.00 | $197.78–$445.26 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Moose Lake Moose Lake, MN · (218) 786-1367 DRAIN/INJ LARGE JOINT/BURSA(T) | $363.59 | $492.00 | $197.78–$445.26 | 26% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Drain/Inject, Joint/Bursa|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $433.30 | $796.50 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 CT Guided Aspir &/or Inj Major Jt|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $544.27 | $1,000.50 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $124.53, median $291.06, highest $363.59 — a 2.9× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $433.30, median $433.30, highest $433.30.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $291.06 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 20610 ($464.10). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MNAS DRAIN/INJECT LARGE JOINT/BURSA | $38.25 | file |