Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Tucson, AZ
In Tucson, AZ, 4 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $2,232.59 to $7,585.35, with a median of $2,897.75. The lowest listed price is at Northwest Hospital — $665.16 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $910.00 at 29 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 2 cities for code 20610, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 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 Tucson, AZ.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Hospital lowest Tucson, AZ DRAIN/INJECT, JOINT/BURSA | $2,232.59 | $9,302.45 | $61.94–$8,372.21 | 76% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwest Sahurita Hospital Tucson, AZ DRAIN/INJECT, JOINT/BURSA | $2,897.75 | $16,098.61 | $187.46–$9,659.17 | 82% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita Sahuarita, AZ · (520) 416-7100 DRAIN/INJECT, JOINT/BURSA | $2,897.75 | $16,098.61 | $187.46–$9,659.17 | 82% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Oro Valley Hospital Tucson, AZ · (520) 901-3500 DRAIN/INJECT, JOINT/BURSA | $7,585.35 | $31,605.62 | $61.94–$28,445.06 | 76% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,232.59, median $2,897.75, highest $7,585.35 — a 3.4× difference within the same market.
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 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.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 20610 ($445.79). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZHC Pbb Drain/Inj Joint/Bursa W/O US | $15.96 | file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZHC Pbb Drain/Inj Joint/Bursa W/O US | $15.96 | file |