Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) cost in Chicago, IL
Prices at 18 hospitals in Chicago, IL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $367 — 7% below the US median ($396), roughly 6.5× the Medicare rate.
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated August 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Chargemaster (list price)
$890
Cash / self-pay
$367
Insurer-negotiated
$338
Medicare pays
$57
$223$1,069
Median cash $367 · Medicare $57 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+
Typical cash price here is $367 — about 6.5× the Medicare rate ($57). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($113).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $890 list price could save about $524 (59%).
Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
