Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Traverse City, MI
In Traverse City, MI, 3 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $103.70 to $818.55, with a median of $630.70. The lowest listed price is at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center — $527.00 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $360.75 at 61 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 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 17, 2026 and Apr 17, 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 Traverse City, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska Memorial Health Center lowest Kalkaska, MI · (231) 258-7500 Arthrocentesis aspiration andor injection major joint or bursa | $103.70 | $122.00 | $28.97–$460.89 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Kalkaska, MI · (231) 258-7500 Arthrocentesis aspiration andor injection major joint or bursa | $264.35 | $311.00 | $111.96–$295.45 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Frankfort, MI · (231) 352-2200 Arthrocentesis aspiration andor injection major joint or bursa | $630.70 | $742.00 | $216.62–$704.90 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 MAJOR JOINT: hip, knee, shoulder | $818.55 | $963.00 | $159.96–$943.74 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 RPS DRN/INJ MJR JNT/BRSA W/O US | $860.20 | $1,012.00 | $159.96–$991.76 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 Arthrocentesis/aspiration/inject major joint/bursa w/o US guid 20610 | $860.20 | $1,012.00 | $159.96–$991.76 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 Arthro/Asp/Inject Large (N) | $860.20 | $1,012.00 | $159.96–$991.76 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 Maj Drain/Inj Jt/Bursa w/o US (PC-2600) | $973.25 | $1,145.00 | $159.96–$1,122.10 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 Drain/Inj Joint/Bursa w/o US Bil (PC-2600) | $973.25 | $1,145.00 | $159.96–$1,122.10 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI · (231) 935-5000 Arthrocentesis aspiration andor injection major joint or bursa | $973.25 | $1,145.00 | $159.96–$1,122.10 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $103.70, median $630.70, highest $818.55 — a 7.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $630.70. 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 3 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.