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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Kentucky 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?

$1,072

Typical negotiated rate. In Kentucky, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,072 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,072 from a physician practice, and about $3,388 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$1,072$891 to $1,445
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$3,388$1,122 to $10,000

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,388 · 10th to 90th $851 to $12,589Professionalmedian $1,072 · 10th to 90th $851 to $1,622
$50$200$1K$5K$20Kfacility $3,388professional $1,072

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
$794.33
Median
$1,122.02
Typical High
$8,128.31
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,174.90
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,388.44
Median
$10,471.29
Typical High
$15,135.61
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$851.14
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$1,445.44
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
50 · Both sides
Typical Low
$1,258.93
Median
$1,584.89
Typical High
$2,187.76
CareSource
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,548.82
Typical High
$5,888.44
CareSource
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,318.26
Typical High
$1,621.81
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$34.67
Median
$1,698.24
Typical High
$4,466.84
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$1,258.93
Typical High
$6,025.60
Molina
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$33.11
Median
$33.11
Typical High
$588.84
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,862.09
Typical High
$7,943.28
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,230.27
Typical High
$1,819.70
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
$676.08
Median
$758.58
Typical High
$870.96
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$134.90
Median
$154.88
Typical High
$173.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$89.13
Median
$102.33
Typical High
$117.49
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$630.96
Median
$707.95
Typical High
$812.83

Where Kentucky 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.

Kentucky· 44th of 51

$1,072

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.