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Knee Cartilage Repair With Your Own Bone Plugs

Virginia 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?

$1,175

Typical negotiated rate. In Virginia, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,175 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,175 from a physician practice, and about $6,457 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 8 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$1,175$1,047 to $1,318
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$6,457$2,692 to $10,965

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $6,457 · 10th to 90th $1,096 to $15,849Professionalmedian $1,175 · 10th to 90th $955 to $1,622
$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $6,457professional $1,175

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
$1,230.27
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$15,488.17
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,096.48
Median
$1,174.90
Typical High
$1,445.44
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$9,772.37
Median
$12,022.64
Typical High
$15,848.93
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$1,202.26
Typical High
$1,412.54
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
50 · Both sides
Typical Low
$1,479.11
Median
$1,778.28
Typical High
$2,137.96
CareFirst
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,047.13
Median
$1,174.90
Typical High
$1,548.82
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$512.86
Median
$3,548.13
Typical High
$7,079.46
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,621.81
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$1,122.02
Typical High
$1,412.54
Medcost
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,412.54
Median
$1,778.28
Typical High
$1,778.28
Medcost
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$1,380.38
Typical High
$1,949.84
Medcost
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,230.27
Median
$1,288.25
Typical High
$1,513.56
Sentara
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$2,818.38
Typical High
$11,481.54
Sentara
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$977.24
Median
$1,258.93
Typical High
$2,511.89
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,630.27
Median
$10,000.00
Typical High
$25,118.86
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$741.31
Median
$954.99
Typical High
$1,905.46
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
$831.76
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$891.25
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$165.96
Median
$177.83
Typical High
$177.83
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$109.65
Median
$117.49
Typical High
$117.49
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$776.25
Median
$831.76
Typical High
$831.76

Where Virginia 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.

Virginia· 38th of 51

$1,175

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.