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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

New Jersey 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 negotiated rate. In New Jersey, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,096 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,072 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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$1,072$977 to $1,202
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$6,026$4,074 to $8,913

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $6,026 · 10th to 90th $2,042 to $12,882Professionalmedian $1,072 · 10th to 90th $813 to $1,585
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $6,026professional $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
$4,365.16
Median
$6,760.83
Typical High
$11,748.98
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,071.52
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,995.26
Median
$4,786.30
Typical High
$8,511.38
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$1,174.90
Typical High
$2,238.72
Emblem Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$1,548.82
Typical High
$1,548.82
Horizon BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5,623.41
Median
$10,232.93
Typical High
$27,542.29
Horizon BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,096.48
Median
$1,202.26
Typical High
$1,819.70
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,621.81
Median
$4,897.79
Typical High
$11,481.54
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$741.31
Median
$933.25
Typical High
$1,479.11
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
$812.83
Median
$812.83
Typical High
$812.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$162.18
Median
$162.18
Typical High
$162.18
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$107.15
Median
$107.15
Typical High
$107.15
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$758.58
Typical High
$758.58

Where New Jersey 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.

New Jersey· 43rd 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.