Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Fort Smith, AR
In Fort Smith, AR-OK, 1 hospital lists a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $48.10 to $48.10, with a median of $48.10. Across Arkansas, the median is $172.90 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility 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 — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Fort Smith, AR-OK.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith lowest Fort Smith, AR · (479) 314-6000 Hchg Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Pf | $48.10 | $74.00 | $5.00–$11.35 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith lowest Fort Smith, AR · (479) 314-6000 Hchg Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Pf | $48.10 | $74.00 | $5.00–$11.35 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR · (479) 314-6000 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $196.95 | $303.00 | $297.00–$674.19 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR · (479) 314-6000 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $196.95 | $303.00 | $297.00–$674.19 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $48.10, median $48.10, highest $48.10.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not 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.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are 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.
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Fort Smith, ARAsp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $40.95 | file |
| Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Fort Smith, ARAsp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $40.95 | file |