Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $313.48 to $1,271.20, with a median of $1,271.20. The lowest listed price is at Hayward Sisters Hospital — $957.72 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $951.60 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 11 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 Feb 23, 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward Sisters Hospital lowest Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 INJECT/ASPIR MAJOR JNT W/O US | $313.48 | $1,044.94 | $53.30–$1,107.00 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Hayward Sisters Hospital Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 ARTHROCENTESISMAJJOINT/BURSA | $327.92 | $1,093.05 | $52.38–$2,485.00 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Drain Joint/Bursa Major W/O US Guidance | $1,081.20 | $2,703.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,271.20 | $2,270.00 | $357.00–$1,117.00 | 44% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $313.48, median $1,271.20, highest $1,271.20 — a 4.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $1,271.20. 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 10 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.