Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Joplin, MO
In Joplin, MO-KS, 5 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $64.16 to $415.35, with a median of $178.10. The lowest listed price is at Freeman Health System - Freeman West — $113.94 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $191.10 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 20610, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 25, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 1, 2026 and Sep 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 Joplin, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West lowest Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR | $64.16 | $160.39 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 ARTHROCENTESIS LG JOINT W/O US | $100.70 | $251.74 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 JNT INJ/ARTH LEG/SHLDR/KNEE | $111.51 | $278.78 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Asp/Inj Major Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $172.90 | $266.00 | $46.48–$276.82 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $172.90 | $266.00 | $66.50–$266.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Columbus Columbus, KS · (620) 429-2545 Asp/Inj Major Jt W/O US Guid Mlp | $178.10 | $274.00 | $36.15–$481.16 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Hchg Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Pf | $202.80 | $312.00 | $46.48–$276.82 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Asp/Inj Major Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $202.80 | $312.00 | $78.00–$312.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Columbus Columbus, KS · (620) 429-2545 Asp/Inj Major Jt W/O US Guid Pf | $208.65 | $321.00 | $36.15–$481.16 | 35% | — source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 ARTHROC/INJ LG JOINT | $267.12 | $667.80 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Bil Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Mlp | $293.80 | $452.00 | $316.98 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Bil Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid Pf | $345.15 | $531.00 | $132.75–$531.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas Galena, KS · (620) 783-1732 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $398.45 | $613.00 | $297.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin, MO · (417) 781-2727 Bil Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $415.35 | $639.00 | $297.00–$5,209.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $423.80 | $652.00 | $163.00–$652.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin, MO · (417) 781-2727 Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $498.55 | $767.00 | $76.70–$767.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Bil Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $635.05 | $977.00 | $244.25–$977.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas Galena, KS · (620) 783-1732 Bil Asp/Inj Major Jt WO US Guid | $726.70 | $1,118.00 | $297.00 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $64.16, median $178.10, highest $415.35 — a 6.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $64.16. 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 3 of 4 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.