Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $120.00 to $1,388.40, with a median of $535.20. The lowest listed price is at Swedish Edmonds — $415.20 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $565.50 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 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 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish Edmonds lowest Edmonds, WA · (425) 640-4000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $120.00 | $250.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 ARTHROCENTESIS, ASP/INJ, MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA W/O US | $457.47 | $897.00 | $538.20–$717.60 | 49% | — source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 ED - ARTHROCENTESIS, ASP/INJ, MAJOR JOINT W/O US, FAC | $457.47 | $897.00 | $538.20–$717.60 | 49% | — source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $497.28 | $1,036.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $497.28 | $1,036.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $497.28 | $1,036.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 "ARTHROCENTESIS, LARGE-SHOULDER/HIP/KNEE/BURSA" | $535.20 | $669.00 | $296.00–$657.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 HB TX RM ARTHRO.MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $535.20 | $669.00 | $296.00–$657.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 HB ARTHRO.MAJOR JOINT OR BURSA | $535.20 | $669.00 | $296.00–$657.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 IVR ARTHROCENTESIS ASP/INJ MJR | $560.00 | $700.00 | $296.00–$657.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC ARTHROCENTESIS - LARGE JOINT | $600.00 | $750.00 | $6.00–$1,123.87 | 20% | — source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc 20610 Arthrocentesis Mjr Jt/Bursa | $652.50 | $1,305.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC ARTHRO/ASP/INJ MAJ JNT/BUR/CYS | $663.20 | $829.00 | $295.19–$1,123.87 | 20% | — source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $683.28 | $1,314.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC INJ MAJOR JOINT - SHOULDER/HIP/KNEE | $683.28 | $1,314.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC ED ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US CDM | $683.28 | $1,314.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ED ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US CDM | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC ED ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US CDM | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC ED ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US CDM | $911.04 | $1,898.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Arthro Asp/Inj Major Jnt/Bursa W/O US Guide | $1,388.40 | $1,388.40 | $349.88–$1,985.66 | — | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Arthro Asp/Inj Major Jnt/Bursa W/O US Guide | $1,894.85 | — | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $120.00, median $535.20, highest $1,388.40 — a 11.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $663.20. 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 4 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 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.