Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Indianapolis, IN
In Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, 14 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $373.38 to $1,256.40, with a median of $897.60. The lowest listed price is at Witham Memorial Hospital — $524.22 less than the median here. Across Indiana, the median is $379.25 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 9 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 Mar 31, 2026 and May 5, 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witham Memorial Hospital lowest Lebanon, IN · (765) 485-8000 Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint | $373.38 | $533.40 | $324.76–$1,333.50 | 30% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Major Hospital Shelbyville, IN · (317) 392-3211 Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint | $501.27 | $1,617.00 | $617.04–$1,617.00 | 69% | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Rehabilitation Hospital Of Indiana Indianapolis, IN 20610 Arthrocentesis/Aspiration Injection Major Joint/Bursa RHI | $587.10 | $1,030.00 | — | 43% | — source file |
| Rehabilitation Hospital Of Indiana Indianapolis, IN 20610 Arthrocentesis/Aspiration Injection Major Joint/Bursa RHI | $587.10 | $1,030.00 | $33.64–$285.87 | 43% | — source file |
| Johnson Memorial Hospital Franklin, IN · (317) 736-3300 Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint | $624.80 | $781.00 | $36.81–$616.99 | 20% | May 5, 2026 source file |
| Riverview Health Noblesville, IN · (317) 773-0760 ASP/INJ MAJOR JT WO US GUID | $762.60 | $1,271.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Johnson Memorial Hospital Franklin, IN · (317) 736-3300 Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint | $809.60 | $1,012.00 | $324.76–$1,012.00 | 20% | May 5, 2026 source file |
| Ascension St Vincent Mercy Elwood, IN · (765) 552-4743 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $862.80 | $1,438.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Ascension St Vincent Mercy Elwood, IN · (765) 552-4743 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $862.80 | $1,438.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital Indianapolis, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Carmel AmbSurg Carmel, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital Indianapolis, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Fishers Hospital Fishers, IN · (317) 415-9000 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Carmel Hospital Carmel, IN · (317) 582-7000 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Carmel Hospital Carmel, IN · (317) 582-7000 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Endo Surgery Center Carmel, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Endo Surgery Center Carmel, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Carmel AmbSurg Carmel, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Naab Road Surgery Center Indianapolis, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Naab Road Surgery Center Indianapolis, IN XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Fishers Hospital Fishers, IN · (317) 415-9000 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $897.60 | $1,496.00 | $12.94–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Riverview Health Noblesville, IN · (317) 773-0760 RVHH ASP/INJ MAJOR JT W/O US GUID | $994.20 | $1,657.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital Anderson, IN · (765) 649-2511 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $1,035.60 | $1,726.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital Anderson, IN · (765) 649-2511 XR ASP/INJ MAJOR JNT/BURSA WO/US | $1,035.60 | $1,726.00 | $9.07–$1,416.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Eskenazi Health Indianapolis, IN · (317) 880-4818 HC Aspiration Joint Major | $1,256.40 | $1,396.00 | $285.00–$1,396.00 | 10% | — source file |
| Eskenazi Health Indianapolis, IN · (317) 880-4818 HC Aspiration Joint Major | $1,687.07 | $1,874.52 | $53.00–$1,874.52 | 10% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $373.38, median $897.60, highest $1,256.40 — a 3.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $897.60. 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 11 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.