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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Illinois 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?

$1,259

Typical negotiated rate. In Illinois, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,259 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,202 from a physician practice, and about $6,026 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$1,202$1,072 to $1,698
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$6,026$3,548 to $8,511

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $6,026 · 10th to 90th $1,259 to $12,589Professionalmedian $1,202 · 10th to 90th $977 to $2,042
$50$200$1K$5K$20Kfacility $6,026professional $1,202

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
$831.76
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$7,762.47
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,071.52
BCBS Illinois
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5,623.41
Median
$8,317.64
Typical High
$14,125.38
BCBS Illinois
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,258.93
Median
$1,698.24
Typical High
$2,041.74
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$776.25
Median
$6,606.93
Typical High
$8,317.64
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,202.26
Typical High
$1,862.09
Hally Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,148.15
Median
$1,737.80
Typical High
$5,011.87
Hally Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$100.00
Median
$100.00
Typical High
$100.00
Hally Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,230.27
Median
$1,348.96
Typical High
$1,513.56
Molina
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$33.11
Median
$117.49
Typical High
$1,202.26
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,479.11
Median
$5,011.87
Typical High
$15,488.17
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,202.26
Typical High
$2,041.74
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
$812.83
Typical High
$812.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$147.91
Median
$162.18
Typical High
$162.18
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$97.72
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$107.15
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$758.58
Typical High
$758.58

Where Illinois 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.

Illinois· 34th of 51

$1,259

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.