Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing cost in Illinois
In Illinois, 19 hospitals publish a cash price for knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty): from $631.22 to $86,358.05, with a median of $4,870.60. The lowest price is at Humboldt Park Health (Chicago). The highest price is 136.8× the lowest.
- The median here, $4,870.60, is about the same as the US median of $4,899.91.
- Illinois ranks 15th of 33 states by median, cheapest first.
- 4 of 19 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Illinois law (Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, 210 ILCS 89): an uninsured Illinois resident with family income up to 600% of the federal poverty level (300% at rural and critical access hospitals) can apply for a discount that brings the bill down to about 135% of the hospital's cost; up to 200% (125% at rural hospitals) medically necessary care is free. A hospital may collect no more than 25% of family income in 12 months. Ask the billing office for the application. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 29877. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 6, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$631.22Humboldt Park Health
Median$4,870.60half of hospitals charge less
Highest$86,358.05in Illinois
Lowest saves$4,239.38vs the median
Hospitals in Illinois, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt Park Health lowest Chicago · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Removal or shaving of knee joint cartilage using an endoscope | $631.22 | $2,254.35 | Sep 29, 2026 source file |
| John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital Chicago · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN PF-KNEE ARTHROSCOPY/SURGERY | $1,158.50 | $1,655.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Morris Hospital Morris · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Removal or shaving of knee joint cartilage using an endoscope | $1,590.61 | $6,611.00 | Oct 27, 2026 source file |
| Carle Eureka Hospital Eureka · Peoria, IL Arthrs Knee Surg Debridement/Shvg Artclr Crtlg | $3,219.00 | $3,219.00 | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital Evanston · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Knee arthroscopy/surgery - 29877 - OR36029877 | $3,489.00 | $16,002.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph Medical Center - Joliet Joliet · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Knee arthroscopy/surgery - 29877 - OR36029877 | $3,489.00 | $19,215.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| FHN Memorial Hospital Freeport · Freeport, IL Removal or shaving of knee joint cartilage using an endoscope | $3,616.00 | $4,520.00 | Jan 22, 2026 source file |
| Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Mattoon · Charleston-Mattoon, IL Removal or shaving of knee joint cartilage using an endoscope | $4,389.00 | $4,389.00 | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Gibson Area Hospital Gibson City · Champaign-Urbana, IL KNEE ARTHROSCOPY/SURGERY | $4,398.00 | $4,398.00 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $4,870.60 | $6,958.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Morrison Community Hospital Morrison · Sterling, IL ARTHR KNEE DBRD/SHV ARTCLR CRT | $9,775.50 | $9,775.50 | Mar 13, 2026 source file |
| Fairfield Memorial Hospital Fairfield · Fairfield, IL SURGICAL KNEE ARTHROSCOPY TO SHAVE OR DE | $9,979.20 | $12,474.00 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Jackson Park Hospital Foundation Chicago · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN DEBRIDEMENT SHAVING ARTICULAR CARTILAGE | $10,321.52 | $12,901.90 | Dec 26, 2025 source file |
| Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Lake Forest · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $13,607.12 | $19,438.74 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital Geneva · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $21,103.12 | $30,147.31 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital McHenry · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $23,824.58 | $34,035.11 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Palos Community Hospital Palos Heights · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $24,751.82 | $35,359.74 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital DeKalb · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $28,649.56 | $40,927.94 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Winfield · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN HB Arthroscopy Knee Debridement | $86,358.05 | $123,368.64 | 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 13 | $631.22 | $10,321.52 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 1 | $4,398.00 | $4,398.00 |
| Charleston-Mattoon, IL | 1 | $4,389.00 | $4,389.00 |
| Fairfield, IL | 1 | $9,979.20 | $9,979.20 |
| Freeport, IL | 1 | $3,616.00 | $3,616.00 |
| Peoria, IL | 1 | $3,219.00 | $3,219.00 |
| Sterling, IL | 1 | $9,775.50 | $9,775.50 |
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 knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing explained.
Knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty) in other states
- Alabama$8,797.52
- Alaska$11,030.55, 2 hospitals
- Arizona$9,348.04
- Arkansas$3,665.38
- California$9,465.00
- Colorado$10,718.50
- Connecticut$3,635.00, 1 hospital
- Delaware$3,381.70, 2 hospitals
- Florida$10,690.00
- Georgia$8,718.00
- Hawaii$10,988.60, 4 hospitals
- Idaho$6,877.00
- Indiana$11,045.90
- Iowa$2,100.85
- Kansas$4,390.38
- Kentucky$7,908.81
- Louisiana$4,002.40
- Maine$1,821.71, 2 hospitals
- Maryland$1,626.00, 1 hospital
- Massachusetts$6,432.38
- Michigan$4,836.05
- Minnesota$2,437.50
- Mississippi$3,267.64
- Missouri$6,939.09
- Montana$2,010.52, 4 hospitals
- Nebraska$3,218.68
- Nevada$3,765.30, 3 hospitals
- New Hampshire$754.05, 1 hospital
- New Jersey$4,291.71
- New Mexico$6,841.40, 4 hospitals
- New York$3,839.54
- North Carolina$3,364.20
- North Dakota$4,325.51, 4 hospitals
- Ohio$13,585.57
- Oklahoma$6,833.03
- Oregon$3,374.54, 4 hospitals
- Pennsylvania$5,993.50
- Rhode Island$5,613.32, 1 hospital
- South Carolina$10,884.90
- South Dakota$4,474.62, 2 hospitals
- Tennessee$6,199.01
- Texas$4,508.71
- Utah$4,764.89, 2 hospitals
- Vermont$4,048.54, 2 hospitals
- Virginia$14,256.20
- Washington$4,906.40
- West Virginia$4,725.50
- Wisconsin$3,084.87
- Wyoming$4,262.46, 2 hospitals
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.