Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Providence, RI
In Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, 7 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $131.00 to $1,557.00, with a median of $642.69. The lowest listed price is at Newport Hospital and 1 other hospital — $511.69 less than the median here. Across Rhode Island, the median is $343.00 at 5 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Hospital lowest Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC PR INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $131.00 | $131.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Rhode Island Hospital lowest Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC PR INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $131.00 | $131.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Landmark Medical Center Woonsocket, RI · (401) 769-4100 Hc Asp/Drain Large Joint/Bursa | $343.00 | $1,220.00 | $112.04–$1,220.00 | 72% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Brown University Health Morton Hospital Taunton, MA · (508) 828-7000 HC INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $642.69 | $642.69 | — | — | — source file |
| Saint Anne's Hospital Fall River, MA · (508) 674-5600 HC INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $666.20 | $666.20 | — | — | — source file |
| The Miriam Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 793-2500 HC INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Newport Hospital Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC INJ ASP SHLDR HIP KNEE | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Newport Hospital Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC INJ ASP SHLDR HIP KNEE | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC INJ ASP MAJOR JOINT | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| The Miriam Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 793-2500 HC INJ ASP SHLDR HIP KNEE | $1,510.00 | $1,510.00 | — | — | — source file |
| South County Health Wakefield, RI · (401) 782-8000 Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | $1,557.00 | $2,595.00 | $251.19 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $131.00, median $642.69, highest $1,557.00 — a 11.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $642.69. 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.