Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing cost in Cleveland, OH
In Cleveland, OH, 3 hospitals list a cash price for knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty): from $1,207.85 to $9,783.30, with a median of $2,373.80. The lowest listed price is at Metrohealth System — $1,165.95 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $2,373.80 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 29877, 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 Jun 16, 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 Cleveland, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metrohealth System lowest Cleveland, OH · (216) 778-7089 Arthroscopy, Knee, Surgical; Debridement/Shaving, Articular Cartilage (Chondroplasty) | $1,207.85 | $3,451.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH · (216) 952-9829 ARTHRS KNEE DEBRIDEMENT/SHAVING ARTCLR CRTLG | $2,373.80 | $3,652.00 | $1.10–$9,440.12 | 35% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Regional Medical Center Lorain, OH · (440) 960-4000 Arthrs Knee Debridement/Shaving Artclr Crtlg | $9,783.30 | $16,305.50 | $3,095.56–$3,157.48 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,207.85, median $2,373.80, highest $9,783.30 — a 8.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,353.93. 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 2 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 code covers knee arthroscopy in which the surgeon smooths rough or loose cartilage.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.