How much does major joint injection / aspiration cost in California?
CPT 20610 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for California.
Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare
benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
20610 Major joint injection / aspiration
Ask to pay
$590
About 2.0× what Medicare pays — most hospitals accept a self-pay rate in this range.
Typical
$870
Medicare $295
Ask $590
$32 lowboxed = typical rangehigh $6,625
What Medicare paysⓘ
$295
Typical price near you
$870
Cash / self-pay price
$956
Prices near you — 91 facilities, lowest first
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCI Medical Center (Orange) lowest ⚠ likely error | Hospital | $32cash | 0.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Good Samaritan Hospital (San Jose) | Hospital | $82cash | 0.3× | — |
| Los Angeles General Medical Center (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $103negotiated | 0.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (Torrance) | Hospital | $103negotiated | 0.3× | — |
| Adventist Health Glendale (Glendale) | Hospital | $126cash | 0.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Natividad Medical Center (Salinas) | Hospital | $141cash | 0.5× | — |
| UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco) | Hospital | $188cash | 0.6× | ★★★★★ |
| Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage) | Hospital | $195cash | 0.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Adventist Health Bakersfield (Bakersfield) | Hospital | $199cash | 0.7× | — |
| Dignity Mercy General Hospital (Sacramento) | Hospital | $233cash | 0.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Dignity California Hospital Medical Center (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $242cash | 0.8× | — |
| Dignity St. John's Regional Medical Center (Oxnard) | Hospital | $247cash | 0.8× | — |
| Highland Hospital – Alameda Health System (Oakland) | Hospital | $260cash | 0.9× | — |
| Adventist Health Simi Valley (Simi Valley) | Hospital | $286cash | 1.0× | — |
| Dignity Mercy San Juan Medical Center (Carmichael) | Hospital | $293cash | 1.0× | — |
| Dignity Mercy Medical Center Redding (Redding) | Hospital | $299cash | 1.0× | — |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance (Torrance) | Hospital | $308cash | 1.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta (Murrieta) | Hospital | $327cash | 1.1× | — |
| Dignity Bakersfield Memorial Hospital (Bakersfield) | Hospital | $339cash | 1.1× | — |
| Dignity St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach) | Hospital | $375negotiated | 1.3× | — |
| Dignity Glendale Memorial Hospital (Glendale) | Hospital | $375negotiated | 1.3× | — |
| Dignity St. Bernardine Medical Center (San Bernardino) | Hospital | $375negotiated | 1.3× | — |
| Providence St. Jude Medical Center (Fullerton) | Hospital | $377cash | 1.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Dignity Dominican Hospital (Santa Cruz) | Hospital | $383cash | 1.3× | — |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center (Inglewood) | Hospital | $392cash | 1.3× | — |
| Adventist Health White Memorial (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $408cash | 1.4× | — |
| UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center (Santa Monica) | Hospital | $409negotiated | 1.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $413negotiated | 1.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Dignity Sequoia Hospital (Redwood City) | Hospital | $433negotiated | 1.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Tri-City Medical Center (Oceanside) | Hospital | $461cash | 1.6× | — |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center (Mission Hills) | Hospital | $481cash | 1.6× | — |
| Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center (Tarzana) | Hospital | $503cash | 1.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Dignity Northridge Hospital Medical Center (Northridge) | Hospital | $538cash | 1.8× | ★★★★★ |
| UCI Health – Placentia Linda (Placentia) | Hospital | $572negotiated | 1.9× | — |
| UCI Health – Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos) | Hospital | $572negotiated | 1.9× | — |
| UCI Health – Fountain Valley (Fountain Valley) | Hospital | $572negotiated | 1.9× | — |
| UCI Health – Lakewood (Lakewood) | Hospital | $572negotiated | 1.9× | — |
| Dignity St. Joseph's Medical Center (Stockton) | Hospital | $660cash | 2.2× | — |
| Kaweah Health Medical Center (Visalia) | Hospital | $738cash | 2.5× | — |
| Providence St. Mary Medical Center (Apple Valley) | Hospital | $752cash | 2.5× | — |
| UC Davis Medical Center (Sacramento) | Hospital | $810cash | 2.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital (Santa Rosa) | Hospital | $850cash | 2.9× | — |
| John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center (Walnut Creek) | Hospital | $870cash | 2.9× | ★★★★★ |
| John Muir Health Concord Medical Center (Concord) | Hospital | $870cash | 2.9× | — |
| UC San Diego Health - Hillcrest & Jacobs Medical Center (San Diego) | Hospital | $913cash | 3.1× | — |
| Kaiser Permanente San Diego Zion Medical Center (San Diego) | Hospital | $952cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $952cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (Fontana) | Hospital | $952cash | 3.2× | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas (Encinitas) | Hospital | $956cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista (Chula Vista) | Hospital | $956cash | 3.2× | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla (La Jolla) | Hospital | $956cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego (San Diego) | Hospital | $956cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Green Hospital (La Jolla) | Hospital | $956cash | 3.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Clovis Community Medical Center (Clovis) | Hospital | $996cash | 3.4× | — |
| Community Regional Medical Center (Fresno) | Hospital | $996cash | 3.4× | — |
| Rady Children's Hospital (San Diego) | Hospital | $1,002cash | 3.4× | — |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center (Loma Linda) | Hospital | $1,026cash | 3.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Orange) | Hospital | $1,038cash | 3.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley (Pleasanton) | Hospital | $1,081cash | 3.7× | — |
| USC Arcadia Hospital (Arcadia) | Hospital | $1,092cash | 3.7× | — |
| Providence Mission Hospital (Mission Viejo) | Hospital | $1,105cash | 3.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center (Burbank) | Hospital | $1,195cash | 4.0× | — |
| Stanford Health Care (Stanford) | Hospital | $1,218cash | 4.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center (Sacramento) | Hospital | $1,271cash | 4.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (San Francisco) | Hospital | $1,271cash | 4.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center (Fresno) | Hospital | $1,271cash | 4.3× | — |
| Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach) | Hospital | $1,434negotiated | 4.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (Pomona) | Hospital | $1,455negotiated | 4.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital (Coronado) | Hospital | $1,499cash | 5.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital (San Diego) | Hospital | $1,499cash | 5.1× | ★★★★★ |
| JFK Memorial Hospital (Indio) | Hospital | $1,531negotiated | 5.2× | — |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) | Hospital | $1,885cash | 6.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Sutter CPMC Van Ness Campus (San Francisco) | Hospital | $1,979cash | 6.7× | — |
| Sutter Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame) | Hospital | $1,979cash | 6.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Sutter Roseville Medical Center (Roseville) | Hospital | $1,979cash | 6.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Sutter Medical Center Sacramento (Sacramento) | Hospital | $1,979cash | 6.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Sutter Eden Medical Center (Castro Valley) | Hospital | $1,979cash | 6.7× | — |
| Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center (Napa) | Hospital | $2,007cash | 6.8× | — |
| Desert Regional Medical Center (Palm Springs) | Hospital | $2,049negotiated | 6.9× | — |
| Riverside University Health System Medical Center (Moreno Valley) | Hospital | $2,058cash | 7.0× | — |
| Riverside Community Hospital (Riverside) | Hospital | $2,215negotiated | 7.5× | — |
| Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Oakland) | Hospital | $2,968cash | 10.1× | — |
| Sutter Memorial Medical Center (Modesto) | Hospital | $2,968cash | 10.1× | — |
| Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital (Santa Rosa) | Hospital | $2,968cash | 10.1× | — |
| Keck Hospital of USC (Los Angeles) gross charge | Hospital | $4,361cash | 14.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (Chula Vista) gross charge | Hospital | $4,464cash | 15.1× | — |
| Sharp Grossmont Hospital (La Mesa) gross charge | Hospital | $4,464cash | 15.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Los Robles Health System (Thousand Oaks) gross charge | Hospital | $6,240negotiated | 21.1× | — |
| MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center (Laguna Hills) gross charge | Hospital | $6,625cash | 22.4× | ★★★★★ |
| MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley) gross charge | Hospital | $6,625cash | 22.4× | — |
| MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center (Long Beach) gross charge | Hospital | $6,625cash | 22.4× | ★★★★★ |
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 8 unusually low/high prices excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
- For 20610 (Major joint injection / aspiration), Medicare's benchmark rate is $295.19. A fair self-pay target for this line is $590.38. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
- Your own published cash / self-pay price for 20610 is $955.69, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $377.28–$1,499.25. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
- Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
- Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
See major joint injection / aspiration prices in another area
What should 20610 cost in California?
For major joint injection / aspiration (CPT 20610) in California, a fair self-pay price is around $870, with hospitals ranging from $377 to $1,499 across 91 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $295, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.
Frequently asked questions
How much does major joint injection / aspiration cost in California?
A fair self-pay price for major joint injection / aspiration (CPT 20610) in California is around $870, with hospital prices ranging from $377 to $1,499 across 91 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.
What is the Medicare rate for CPT 20610?
Medicare pays about $295 for major joint injection / aspiration (CPT 20610). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.
Can I negotiate the price of major joint injection / aspiration?
Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.
Got a bill for this?
If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.
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Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.