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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Colorado 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?

$1,738

Typical negotiated rate. In Colorado, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,738 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,479 from a physician practice, and about $11,220 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 7 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$1,479$1,202 to $1,950
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$11,220$5,754 to $15,136

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $11,220 · 10th to 90th $2,512 to $20,893Professionalmedian $1,479 · 10th to 90th $1,072 to $2,344
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $11,220professional $1,479

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
$1,778.28
Median
$5,248.07
Typical High
$10,964.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,318.26
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$9,332.54
Median
$14,791.08
Typical High
$21,379.62
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,202.26
Median
$1,737.80
Typical High
$2,570.40
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$4,570.88
Typical High
$7,079.46
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,318.26
Typical High
$1,819.70
Denver HMP
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,348.96
Typical High
$2,238.72
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,318.26
Typical High
$1,995.26
Select Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,995.26
Typical High
$6,165.95
Select Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,096.48
Typical High
$1,479.11
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,511.89
Median
$6,918.31
Typical High
$15,488.17
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,380.38
Typical High
$2,137.96
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
$794.33
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$794.33
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$158.49
Median
$158.49
Typical High
$158.49
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$107.15
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$107.15
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$741.31
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$741.31

Where Colorado 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.

Colorado· 13th of 51

$1,738

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.