Joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in North Carolina
In North Carolina, 56 hospitals publish a cash price for injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound: from $55.76 to $1,559.00, with a median of $418.80. The lowest price is at Northern Regional Hospital (Mount Airy). The highest price is 28.0× the lowest.
- The median here, $418.80, is 5% below the US median of $439.76.
- That is 1.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($313.60).
- North Carolina ranks 28th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 6 of 56 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 20610. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 11, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$55.76Northern Regional Hospital
Median$418.80half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,559.00in North Carolina
Lowest saves$363.04vs 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, Major-Prof | $55.76 | $82.00 | Nov 12, 2025 source file |
| Iredell Memorial Hospital one side Statesville · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC IMH Inj/Asp Joint Lt | $111.17 | $411.73 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Alleghany County Memorial Hospital Sparta · Sparta, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $160.00 | $320.00 | Aug 12, 2025 source file |
| ECU Health Bertie Hospital one side Windsor · Windsor, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Lt-ED | $198.24 | $354.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Erlanger Murphy Medical Center Murphy · Murphy, NC HC Inj/Asp Major Jnt Site | $210.70 | $301.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Duke University Hospital Durham · Durham, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Mjr Jt WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Raleigh Hospital Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Mjr Jt WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Regional Hospital Durham · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Arthcs Asp/Inj Mjr Jt WO US | $210.87 | $781.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Duplin Hospital one side Kenansville · Kenansville, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Rt | $234.64 | $419.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health North Hospital one side Roanoke Rapids · Roanoke Rapids, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Rt-ED | $239.68 | $428.00 | 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, Large-Rt | $255.36 | $456.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rutherford Regional Medical Center Rutherfordton · Forest City, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | $260.52 | $651.30 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Randolph Health Asheboro · Asheboro, NC DRAIN INJ MAJOR JNT BURSA | $264.00 | $1,320.00 | Dec 30, 2024 source file |
| ECU Health Beaufort Hospital one side Washington · Washington, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Lt-ED | $294.15 | $555.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Medical Center one side Greenville · Greenville, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Rt-ED | $294.15 | $555.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Cary Hospital Cary · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Drain/Inject Joint/Bursa Major | $294.88 | $776.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| WakeMed Raleigh Campus Raleigh · Raleigh-Cary, NC HC Drain/Inject Joint/Bursa Major | $294.88 | $776.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Winston Salem · Winston-Salem, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $330.00 | $660.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHCS ASP/INJ MJR JT WO US | $331.02 | $1,226.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital Bermuda Run · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $348.50 | $697.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| High Point Regional Health High Point · Greensboro-High Point, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $351.50 | $703.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Lexington Medical Center Lexington · Winston-Salem, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $353.50 | $707.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Wilkes Regional Medical Center North Wilkesboro · North Wilkesboro, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $373.00 | $746.00 | Oct 8, 2025 source file |
| Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital Elkin · Mount Airy, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $388.00 | $776.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center Elizabeth City · Elizabeth City, NC Chgr Arthrocentesis-Maj Jnt W/O Us | $392.50 | $785.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Scotland Memorial Hospital and Edwin Morgan Center Laurinburg · Laurinburg, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $398.00 | $796.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Betsy Johnson Hospital Dunn · Anderson Creek, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM LARGE JOINT | $418.80 | $698.00 | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Bladen County Hospital one side Elizabethtown · Elizabethtown, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM LARGE JOINT | $418.80 | $698.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley - Hoke Hospital Raeford · Fayetteville, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM LARGE JOINT | $418.80 | $698.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM LARGE JOINT | $418.80 | $698.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital one side Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC ASPIRATION AND/OR INJECTION OF FLUID FROM LARGE JOINT | $418.80 | $698.00 | Mar 22, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital one side Tarboro · Rocky Mount, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Lt-ED | $460.32 | $822.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Columbus Regional Healthcare System Whiteville · Whiteville, NC 20610 DRAIN/INJ MAJOR JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $493.68 | $705.25 | Sep 1, 2025 source file |
| AdventHealth Polk Columbus · Columbus, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $519.44 | $519.44 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby · Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Atrium Health University City Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Stanly Regional Medical Center Albermarle · Albemarle, NC HC ER ARTHROCENTESIS MAJOR JOINT W/O US GUID | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | Oct 29, 2026 source file |
| Harris Regional Hospital one side Sylva · Sylva, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | $655.06 | $1,637.66 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| ECU Health Chowan Hospital one side Edenton · Edenton, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Rt | $680.40 | $1,215.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Person Memorial Hospital Roxboro · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | $720.80 | $1,802.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Frye Regional Medical Center Hickory · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC DRAIN/INJ JOINT/BURSA W/O US | $1,017.89 | $2,544.73 | Jul 8, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Asheville · Asheville, NC ARTH JNTBRS MJR WO US | $1,035.19 | $1,035.19 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Wilson Medical Center Wilson · Wilson, NC Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | $1,078.00 | $2,695.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| East Carolina Health one side Ahoskie · Ahoskie, NC Joint/Bursa Asp/Inj W/O US Guide, Large-Rt-ED | $1,134.00 | $2,025.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sampson Regional Medical Center Clinton · Clinton, NC Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint | $1,289.40 | $1,842.00 | Nov 2, 2026 source file |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia Gastonia · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG INJ/ASP OF MAJOR JOINT W/O US | $1,525.00 | $1,525.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG INJ/ASP OF MAJOR JOINT W/O US | $1,525.00 | $1,525.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital one side Belmont · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HCHG ARTHROCENT MAJOR JT LT WO US | $1,525.00 | $1,525.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Hendersonville Hendersonville · Asheville, NC HC ARTHROCENTESIS ASPIR&/INJ MAJOR JT/BURSA W/O US | $1,559.00 | $1,559.00 | 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 | 13 | $111.17 | $646.00 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 3 | $418.80 | $418.80 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 3 | $210.87 | $294.88 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 3 | $330.00 | $348.50 |
| Asheville, NC | 2 | $1,035.19 | $1,297.10 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 2 | $210.87 | $465.84 |
| Mount Airy, NC | 2 | $55.76 | $221.88 |
| Ahoskie, NC | 1 | $1,134.00 | $1,134.00 |
| Asheboro, NC | 1 | $264.00 | $264.00 |
| Albemarle, NC | 1 | $646.00 | $646.00 |
| Anderson Creek, NC | 1 | $418.80 | $418.80 |
| Clinton, NC | 1 | $1,289.40 | $1,289.40 |
| Columbus, NC | 1 | $519.44 | $519.44 |
| Durham, NC | 1 | $210.87 | $210.87 |
| Edenton, NC | 1 | $680.40 | $680.40 |
| Elizabethtown, NC | 1 | $418.80 | $418.80 |
| Elizabeth City, NC | 1 | $392.50 | $392.50 |
| Forest City, NC | 1 | $260.52 | $260.52 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1 | $351.50 | $351.50 |
| Greenville, NC | 1 | $294.15 | $294.15 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 1 | $1,017.89 | $1,017.89 |
| Kenansville, NC | 1 | $234.64 | $234.64 |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 1 | $255.36 | $255.36 |
| Laurinburg, NC | 1 | $398.00 | $398.00 |
| Murphy, NC | 1 | $210.70 | $210.70 |
| North Wilkesboro, NC | 1 | $373.00 | $373.00 |
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 1 | $239.68 | $239.68 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 1 | $460.32 | $460.32 |
| Sparta, NC | 1 | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| Sylva, NC | 1 | $655.06 | $655.06 |
| Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 1 | $646.00 | $646.00 |
| Whiteville, NC | 1 | $493.68 | $493.68 |
| Windsor, NC | 1 | $198.24 | $198.24 |
| Washington, NC | 1 | $294.15 | $294.15 |
| Wilson, NC | 1 | $1,078.00 | $1,078.00 |
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 (cortisone shot) is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Joint injection (cortisone shot) explained.
Injection or fluid drainage of a major joint (knee, shoulder, hip), no ultrasound in other states
- Alabama$385.00
- Alaska$418.00
- Arizona$567.43
- Arkansas$399.31
- California$951.60
- Colorado$344.34
- Connecticut$652.05
- Delaware$960.45
- District of Columbia$557.92, 3 hospitals
- Florida$668.20
- Georgia$905.19
- Hawaii$599.25
- Idaho$305.00
- Illinois$494.00
- Indiana$412.92
- Iowa$354.00
- Kansas$342.23
- Kentucky$391.16
- Louisiana$258.30
- Maine$269.32
- Maryland$240.42
- Massachusetts$566.25
- Michigan$422.07
- Minnesota$362.85
- Mississippi$248.95
- Missouri$290.88
- Montana$275.85
- Nebraska$198.69
- Nevada$333.00
- New Hampshire$336.29
- New Jersey$1,065.25
- New Mexico$427.38
- New York$505.82
- North Dakota$303.20
- Ohio$696.00
- Oklahoma$366.05
- Oregon$312.00
- Pennsylvania$468.12
- Puerto Rico$2,100.00, 3 hospitals
- Rhode Island$1,510.00
- South Carolina$646.52
- South Dakota$688.00
- Tennessee$343.47
- Texas$592.44
- Utah$460.95
- Vermont$681.90
- Virginia$387.46
- Washington$484.86
- West Virginia$343.50
- Wisconsin$399.36
- Wyoming$408.00
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.