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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Missouri 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?

$1,380

Typical negotiated rate. In Missouri, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,380 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,318 from a physician practice, and about $5,248 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$1,318$1,122 to $1,585
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$5,248$2,692 to $10,000

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $5,248 · 10th to 90th $1,288 to $16,982Professionalmedian $1,318 · 10th to 90th $977 to $3,981
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $5,248professional $1,318

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
$1,778.28
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$11,481.54
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,621.81
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,412.54
Median
$5,370.32
Typical High
$16,982.44
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,288.25
Typical High
$1,737.80
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
50 · Both sides
Typical Low
$1,621.81
Median
$1,949.84
Typical High
$2,630.27
BCBS Kansas City
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,047.13
Typical High
$1,380.38
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$851.14
Median
$4,168.69
Typical High
$10,471.29
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,148.15
Typical High
$2,137.96
Medica
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$5,011.87
Typical High
$33,884.42
Medica
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,778.28
Typical High
$7,762.47
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$5,248.07
Typical High
$13,489.63
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$1,318.26
Typical High
$2,089.30
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
$660.69
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$870.96
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$134.90
Median
$158.49
Typical High
$177.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$89.13
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$117.49
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$616.60
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$812.83

Where Missouri 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.

Missouri· 30th of 51

$1,380

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.