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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Maryland 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?

$1,096

Typical physician fee. In Maryland, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,096 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $1,023 to $1,380.

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.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $3,631 · 10th to 90th $617 to $6,607Professionalmedian $1,047 · 10th to 90th $933 to $1,585
$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $3,631professional $1,047

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
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$1,096.48
CareFirst
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,174.90
Typical High
$1,174.90
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$512.86
Median
$3,630.78
Typical High
$6,025.60
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$1,905.46
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$1,148.15
Typical High
$1,862.09
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,621.81
Median
$3,801.89
Typical High
$7,079.46
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$812.83
Median
$1,000.00
Typical High
$2,238.72
Wellpoint
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$1,000.00
Typical High
$1,584.89
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
$794.33
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$831.76
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$158.49
Median
$158.49
Typical High
$165.96
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$104.71
Median
$104.71
Typical High
$109.65
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$741.31
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$776.25

Where Maryland 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.

Maryland· 40th of 51

$1,096

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.