Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Rochester, NY
In Rochester, NY, 8 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $70.00 to $449.22, with a median of $328.08. The lowest listed price is at Strong Memorial Hospital — $258.08 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $349.32 at 65 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 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 Apr 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 Rochester, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Memorial Hospital lowest Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 PR ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $70.00 | $140.00 | $21.41–$312.18 | 50% | — source file |
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital Dansville, NY · (585) 335-6001 PR ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $75.13 | $126.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital Dansville, NY · (585) 335-6001 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US (Pro) | $84.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY · (585) 396-6000 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O US (Pro) | $94.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY · (585) 396-6000 PR ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $129.99 | $218.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT_BURSA | $291.80 | $448.93 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION __OR INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $318.37 | $489.80 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY · (315) 462-9561 HC 20610 ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $318.37 | $489.80 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 341-6711 Drain/inj joint/bursa w/o us | $364.35 | — | $363.59–$650.73 | — | — source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 Drain/inj joint/bursa w/o us | $364.35 | — | $373.13–$758.98 | — | — source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY · (315) 332-2022 HC 20610 ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 922-4000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT_BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 922-4000 HC 20610 ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY · (315) 332-2022 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION __OR INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY · (315) 332-2022 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT_BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 922-4000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION __OR INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $418.44 | $643.75 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital Dansville, NY · (585) 335-6001 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $436.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT_BURSA | $449.22 | $561.52 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC 20610 ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION_INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $449.22 | $561.52 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY · (585) 723-7000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS_ ASPIRATION __OR INJECTION_ MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $449.22 | $561.52 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY · (585) 396-6000 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $480.00 | — | — | — | — source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 275-2121 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $1,258.00 | — | $178.62–$1,331.61 | — | — source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY · (585) 341-6711 HB Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $1,258.00 | — | $152.52–$1,190.00 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $70.00, median $328.08, highest $449.22 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $291.80. 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 2 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.