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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Iowa 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?

$2,344

Typical negotiated rate. In Iowa, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $2,344 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $2,089 from a physician practice, and about $5,370 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$2,089$1,660 to $2,399
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$5,370$2,818 to $8,710

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $5,370 · 10th to 90th $1,660 to $15,136Professionalmedian $2,089 · 10th to 90th $1,202 to $3,020
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $5,370professional $2,089

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
$1,659.59
Median
$4,265.80
Typical High
$7,244.36
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,659.59
Typical High
$1,659.59
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,890.45
Median
$6,025.60
Typical High
$7,762.47
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,041.74
Median
$2,398.83
Typical High
$2,884.03
Hally Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,659.59
Typical High
$2,884.03
Medica
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,479.11
Median
$4,677.35
Typical High
$17,378.01
Medica
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$2,344.23
Typical High
$7,762.47
Midlands
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,041.74
Median
$2,398.83
Typical High
$2,818.38
Midlands
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,890.45
Median
$5,888.44
Typical High
$7,762.47
Midlands
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,041.74
Median
$2,344.23
Typical High
$3,630.78
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,819.70
Median
$6,309.57
Typical High
$19,054.61
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,584.89
Typical High
$2,884.03
Wellmark
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,041.74
Median
$2,041.74
Typical High
$2,398.83
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
$1,230.27
Typical High
$1,230.27
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$144.54
Median
$251.19
Typical High
$251.19
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$95.50
Median
$165.96
Typical High
$165.96
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$1,148.15
Typical High
$1,148.15

Where Iowa 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.

Iowa· 5th of 51

$2,344

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.