Knee arthroscopy (both menisci) cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for knee arthroscopy with removal of both torn meniscus parts: from $1,264.00 to $20,337.35, with a median of $1,380.80. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Medical Center - Newton — $116.80 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,380.80 at 20 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 29880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton lowest Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 PR Arthroscopy Knee Surg W/Meniscectomy Incl Debr/Shv Articular Cartilage | $1,264.00 | $1,264.00 | $169.98–$1,264.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR ARTHRS KNEE W/MENISCECTOMY MED&LAT W/SHAVING | $1,380.80 | $1,726.00 | $508.84–$1,725.31 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR ARTHRS KNEE W/MENISCECTOMY MED&LAT W/SHAVING | $1,380.80 | $1,726.00 | $508.84–$1,725.31 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Arthro Knee W/Mnsc Med and Lat Incl/Chndrplsty Same/Sep Compart Rt (Rest Method II CAH) | $12,511.65 | — | $0.96–$6,352.30 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa one side West Des Moines, IA HC Arthro Knee W/Mnsc Med and Lat Incl/Chndrplsty Same/Sep Compart Rt (Rest Method II CAH) | $20,337.35 | — | $9.09–$6,352.30 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,264.00, median $1,380.80, highest $20,337.35 — a 16.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,660.90. 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 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 knee arthroscopy trims torn parts of both the inner and outer meniscus through small incisions.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.