Knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for Knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim: from $1,220.00 to $1,329.60, with a median of $1,329.60. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Medical Center - Newton.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 29881, 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 | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton lowest Newton, IA PR Arthroscopy Knee Surg W/ Meniscectomy Incl Debr/Shvi Artc Cartilage | $1,220.00 | $1,220.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation Des Moines, IA PR ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG | $1,329.60 | $1,662.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation Des Moines, IA PR ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG | $1,329.60 | $1,662.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton, IA HC Arthro Knee W/Mnsc Med or Lat Incl/Chndrplsty Same/Sep Compart Lt (Rest Method II CAH) | $13,026.95 | — | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp one side West Des Moines, IA HC Arthro Knee W/Mnsc Med or Lat Incl/Chndrplsty Same/Sep Compart Lt (Rest Method II CAH) | $18,070.14 | — | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,220.00, median $1,329.60, highest $1,329.60 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
One side of the body : lowest $13,026.95, median $15,548.55, highest $18,070.14 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,329.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
What it is
Knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy uses a small camera and instruments through tiny cuts to trim or remove a torn part of the meniscus, the cartilage cushion in the knee. The code also covers smoothing damaged cartilage in the knee when done.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon's fee and anesthesia are usually billed separately.