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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Washington, DC 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?

$1,175

Typical physician fee. In Washington, DC, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,175 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $1,047 to $2,512.

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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $4,677 · 10th to 90th $1,413 to $19,055Professionalmedian $1,148 · 10th to 90th $977 to $3,020
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $4,677professional $1,148

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

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,096.48
Median
$3,388.44
Typical High
$6,606.93
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$1,096.48
Typical High
$1,148.15
CareFirst
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,174.90
Typical High
$7,244.36
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$3,019.95
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$2,137.96
Typical High
$2,511.89
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,754.23
Median
$5,128.61
Typical High
$42,657.95
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$812.83
Median
$1,548.82
Typical High
$3,019.95
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
$758.58
Median
$831.76
Typical High
$851.14
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$154.88
Median
$165.96
Typical High
$169.82
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$102.33
Median
$109.65
Typical High
$114.82
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$707.95
Median
$776.25
Typical High
$794.33

Where Washington, DC 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.

Washington, DC· 36th of 51

$1,175

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.