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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Georgia 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?

$1,549

Typical negotiated rate. In Georgia, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,549 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,479 from a physician practice, and about $3,715 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 6 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$1,479$1,230 to $1,905
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$3,715$1,549 to $5,370

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,715 · 10th to 90th $1,047 to $10,000Professionalmedian $1,479 · 10th to 90th $955 to $2,512
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $3,715professional $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
$1,202.26
Median
$6,165.95
Typical High
$13,803.84
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,230.27
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,995.26
Typical High
$11,748.98
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,479.11
Typical High
$2,398.83
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
50 · Both sides
Typical Low
$1,621.81
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$3,715.35
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$602.56
Median
$4,265.80
Typical High
$5,623.41
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,202.26
Median
$1,698.24
Typical High
$2,754.23
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,096.48
Median
$1,230.27
Typical High
$1,778.28
Oscar Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,862.09
Median
$1,862.09
Typical High
$1,905.46
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,513.56
Median
$3,715.35
Typical High
$9,549.93
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,548.82
Typical High
$2,691.53
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
$812.83
Median
$812.83
Typical High
$912.01
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$162.18
Median
$162.18
Typical High
$181.97
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$107.15
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$120.23
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$758.58
Typical High
$851.14

Where Georgia 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.

Georgia· 23rd of 51

$1,549

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.