Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Tulsa, OK
In Tulsa, OK, 6 hospitals list a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $49.30 to $382.30, with a median of $58.56. The lowest listed price is at St. John Medical Center and 1 other hospital — $9.26 less than the median here. Across Oklahoma, the median is $154.05 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 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 Tulsa, OK.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John Medical Center lowest Tulsa, OK · (918) 744-2296 DRAIN/INJ JOINT 52 5318 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.04 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Medical Center lowest Tulsa, OK · (918) 744-2296 DRAIN-INJECT JOINT 5177 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.04 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Sapulpa lowest Sapulpa, OK · (918) 224-4280 DRAIN/INJ JOINT 52 5318 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.03 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Sapulpa lowest Sapulpa, OK · (918) 224-4280 DRN/INJ MAJ JT/BURSA WO US 20610 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.03 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Sapulpa lowest Sapulpa, OK · (918) 224-4280 DRAIN-INJECT JOINT 5177 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.03 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Medical Center lowest Tulsa, OK · (918) 744-2296 DRN/INJ MAJ JT/BURSA WO US 20610 | $49.30 | $133.25 | $51.67–$85.04 | 63% | — source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital South Tulsa, OK · (918) 307-6010 NDC Description Not Available | $58.56 | $146.40 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital Yale Tulsa, OK · (918) 494-8467 NDC Description Not Available | $58.56 | $146.40 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St. John Broken Arrow Jenks, OK DRN/INJ MAJ JT/BURSA WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Broken Arrow Jenks, OK ARTHROCEN MAJOR JT WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Medical Center Tulsa, OK · (918) 744-2296 ARTHROCEN MAJOR JT WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67–$85.04 | 63% | — source file |
| St. John Sapulpa Sapulpa, OK · (918) 224-4280 ARTHROCEN MAJOR JT WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67–$85.03 | 63% | — source file |
| St John Owasso Owasso, OK · (918) 274-5100 ARTHROCEN MAJOR JT WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67–$98.64 | 63% | — source file |
| St John Owasso Owasso, OK · (918) 274-5100 DRN/INJ MAJ JT/BURSA WO US 20610 | $382.30 | $1,033.25 | $51.67–$98.64 | 63% | — source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital South Tulsa, OK · (918) 307-6010 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $634.22 | $1,585.55 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital Yale Tulsa, OK · (918) 494-8467 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Injection Major Jt/Bursa | $634.22 | $1,585.55 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital Yale Tulsa, OK · (918) 494-8467 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,200.04 | $3,000.10 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital South Tulsa, OK · (918) 307-6010 Hc Arthrocentesis Aspir&/Inj Major Jt/Bursa W/O Us | $1,200.04 | $3,000.10 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $49.30, median $58.56, highest $382.30 — a 7.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $58.56. 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 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 2 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.