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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Arkansas rates for HCPCS 29866

A knee arthroscopy procedure that repairs a damaged patch of joint cartilage by transplanting small plugs of healthy bone and cartilage taken from a less weight-bearing area of the patient's own knee. The plugs are harvested and inserted through small camera-guided incisions in the same operation, filling the damaged area with living tissue rather than scar tissue. It is used for a focal area of cartilage damage rather than widespread arthritis.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs cost?

$1,479

Typical negotiated rate. In Arkansas, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,479 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,259 from a physician practice, and about $3,467 from a hospital or other facility.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 4 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$1,259$1,122 to $1,479
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$3,467$2,512 to $6,761

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,467 · 10th to 90th $1,288 to $9,120Professionalmedian $1,259 · 10th to 90th $1,047 to $1,698
$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $3,467professional $1,259

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,380.38
Typical High
$2,454.71
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,258.93
Typical High
$1,258.93
BCBS Arkansas
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,388.44
Median
$6,760.83
Typical High
$9,120.11
BCBS Arkansas
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,122.02
Median
$1,230.27
Typical High
$1,479.11
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$588.84
Median
$3,388.44
Typical High
$4,168.69
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$912.01
Median
$1,698.24
Typical High
$1,698.24
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,659.59
Median
$2,511.89
Typical High
$9,120.11
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$870.96
Median
$1,148.15
Typical High
$1,949.84
4 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$724.44
Median
$954.99
Typical High
$954.99
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$144.54
Median
$190.55
Typical High
$190.55
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$95.50
Median
$125.89
Typical High
$125.89
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$891.25

Where Arkansas sits

The same service costs 7.6 times more in Alaska than in Texas. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

Arkansas· 24th of 51

$1,479

AK $4,266TX $562

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.