Joint injection (small joint) cost in North Carolina
In North Carolina, 50 hospitals publish a cash price for joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes): from $42.84 to $1,302.00, with a median of $305.44. The lowest price is at Northern Regional Hospital (Mount Airy). The highest price is 30.4× the lowest.
- The median here, $305.44, is 15% below the US median of $359.00.
- That is about the same as Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($313.60).
- North Carolina ranks 18th of 49 states by median, cheapest first.
- 5 of 50 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 20600. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 11, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$42.84Northern Regional Hospital
Median$305.44half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,302.00in North Carolina
Lowest saves$262.60vs the median
Hospitals in North Carolina, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Regional Hospital lowest Mount Airy · Mount Airy, NC Arthrocentesis, Sm-Prof | $42.84 | $63.00 | Nov 12, 2025 source file |
| ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital one side Tarboro · Rocky Mount, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Lt | $107.52 | $192.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Outer Banks Hospital one side Nags Head · Kill Devil Hills, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt | $120.40 | $215.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Scotland Memorial Hospital and Edwin Morgan Center Laurinburg · Laurinburg, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $131.50 | $263.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Bertie Hospital one side Windsor · Windsor, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Lt | $133.84 | $239.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health North Hospital one side Roanoke Rapids · Roanoke Rapids, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt-ED | $149.52 | $267.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Beaufort Hospital one side Washington · Washington, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt | $157.94 | $298.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Medical Center one side Greenville · Greenville, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt-ED | $157.94 | $298.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Duplin Hospital one side Kenansville · Kenansville, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt-ED | $159.04 | $284.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia Gastonia · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG ASC DRAIN/INJECTIONJOINT/BURSA | $178.00 | $178.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG ASC DRAIN/INJECTIONJOINT/BURSA | $178.00 | $178.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG ASC DRAIN/INJECTIONJOINT/BURSA | $178.00 | $178.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Duke University Hospital Durham · Durham, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Sm Jr WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Raleigh Hospital Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Sm Jr WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Sm Jr WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Chowan Hospital one side Edenton · Edenton, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt-ED | $231.28 | $413.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wilkes Regional Medical Center North Wilkesboro · North Wilkesboro, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $237.50 | $475.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital Elkin · Mount Airy, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $247.00 | $494.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center Elizabeth City · Elizabeth City, NC Arthrocentesis-Sml Jnt W/O Us | $257.50 | $515.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lexington Medical Center Lexington · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $261.50 | $523.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Randolph Health Asheboro · Asheboro, NC DRAIN INJECT SM JNT BURSA | $264.00 | $1,320.00 | Dec 30, 2024 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Winston Salem · Winston-Salem, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $264.50 | $529.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Bermuda Run · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $279.50 | $559.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Cary Hospital Cary · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Arthrocentesis Asp/Inj:Sm Jnt | $294.88 | $776.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Raleigh Campus Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Arthrocentesis Asp/Inj:Sm Jnt | $294.88 | $776.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| High Point Regional Health High Point · Greensboro-High Point, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $316.00 | $632.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| East Carolina Health one side Ahoskie · Ahoskie, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Small-Rt-ED | $357.84 | $639.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rutherford Regional Medical Center Rutherfordton · Forest City, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, small joint or bursa (eg, fingers, toes); without ultrasound guidance | $367.69 | $919.22 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Erlanger Murphy Medical Center Murphy · Murphy, NC HC Arthrocen Sm Joint | $385.00 | $550.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Betsy Johnson Hospital Dunn · Anderson Creek, NC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $411.00 | $685.00 | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Bladen County Hospital Elizabethtown · Elizabethtown, NC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $411.00 | $685.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Hoke Hospital Raeford · Fayetteville, NC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $411.00 | $685.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley Medical Center one side Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM SMALL JOINT | $411.00 | $685.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $411.00 | $685.00 | Mar 22, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Polk Columbus · Columbus, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ SMALL JT/BURSA W/O US | $421.89 | $421.89 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Wilson Medical Center Wilson · Wilson, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, small joint or bursa (eg, fingers, toes); without ultrasound guidance | $448.40 | $1,121.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby · Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health University City Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Stanly Regional Medical Center Albermarle · Albemarle, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS SMALL JOINT W/O US GUID | $470.50 | $941.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Columbus Regional Healthcare System Whiteville · Whiteville, NC 20600 ARTHRO/ASP/INJ SML JT/BUR W/O ULT | $516.59 | $737.98 | Sep 1, 2025 source file |
| Person Memorial Hospital Roxboro · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, small joint or bursa (eg, fingers, toes); without ultrasound guidance | $710.40 | $1,776.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Harris Regional Hospital Sylva · Sylva, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, small joint or bursa (eg, fingers, toes); without ultrasound guidance | $856.05 | $2,140.13 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Hendersonville Hendersonville · Asheville, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ SMALL JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,302.00 | $1,302.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 11 | $178.00 | $470.50 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 3 | $411.00 | $411.00 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 3 | $210.87 | $294.88 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 3 | $261.50 | $264.50 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 2 | $210.87 | $460.64 |
| Mount Airy, NC | 2 | $42.84 | $144.92 |
| Ahoskie, NC | 1 | $357.84 | $357.84 |
| Asheboro, NC | 1 | $264.00 | $264.00 |
| Albemarle, NC | 1 | $470.50 | $470.50 |
| Anderson Creek, NC | 1 | $411.00 | $411.00 |
| Asheville, NC | 1 | $1,302.00 | $1,302.00 |
| Columbus, NC | 1 | $421.89 | $421.89 |
| Durham, NC | 1 | $210.87 | $210.87 |
| Edenton, NC | 1 | $231.28 | $231.28 |
| Elizabethtown, NC | 1 | $411.00 | $411.00 |
| Elizabeth City, NC | 1 | $257.50 | $257.50 |
| Forest City, NC | 1 | $367.69 | $367.69 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1 | $316.00 | $316.00 |
| Greenville, NC | 1 | $157.94 | $157.94 |
| Kenansville, NC | 1 | $159.04 | $159.04 |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 1 | $120.40 | $120.40 |
| Laurinburg, NC | 1 | $131.50 | $131.50 |
| Murphy, NC | 1 | $385.00 | $385.00 |
| North Wilkesboro, NC | 1 | $237.50 | $237.50 |
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 1 | $149.52 | $149.52 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 1 | $107.52 | $107.52 |
| Sylva, NC | 1 | $856.05 | $856.05 |
| Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 1 | $470.50 | $470.50 |
| Whiteville, NC | 1 | $516.59 | $516.59 |
| Windsor, NC | 1 | $133.84 | $133.84 |
| Washington, NC | 1 | $157.94 | $157.94 |
| Wilson, NC | 1 | $448.40 | $448.40 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What joint injection (small joint) is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Joint injection (small joint) explained.
Joint injection or drainage, small joint (fingers, toes) in other states
- Alabama$385.00
- Alaska$350.03
- Arizona$362.61
- Arkansas$309.40
- California$728.00
- Colorado$390.50
- Connecticut$858.58
- Delaware$1,012.20, 4 hospitals
- District of Columbia$584.04, 3 hospitals
- Florida$550.80
- Georgia$496.26
- Hawaii$703.50
- Idaho$298.20
- Illinois$312.50
- Indiana$293.76
- Iowa$280.00
- Kansas$236.43
- Kentucky$208.80
- Louisiana$258.30
- Maine$203.26
- Maryland$168.51
- Massachusetts$541.00
- Michigan$338.00
- Minnesota$323.61
- Mississippi$250.64
- Missouri$273.48
- Montana$171.98
- Nebraska$222.31
- Nevada$333.00
- New Hampshire$258.88
- New Jersey$728.72
- New Mexico$376.80
- New York$449.22
- North Dakota$285.83
- Ohio$493.50
- Oklahoma$243.43
- Oregon$313.76
- Pennsylvania$410.85
- Puerto Rico$2,100.00, 3 hospitals
- Rhode Island$925.00
- South Carolina$375.25
- South Dakota$478.69
- Tennessee$290.40
- Texas$430.75
- Utah$345.43
- Vermont$359.00
- Virginia$366.45
- Washington$379.08
- West Virginia$350.00
- Wisconsin$310.46
- Wyoming$243.00
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.