go back

Knee Arthroscopy With Drilling of Cartilage Lesion

Montana rates for HCPCS 29886

A minimally invasive knee operation done through small incisions using a camera and narrow instruments. The surgeon drills tiny channels into the bone beneath a damaged patch of joint surface to bring in blood supply and encourage healing. It is used when the damaged piece is still sitting in place, so no screws or pins are added.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Knee Arthroscopy With Drilling of Cartilage Lesion cost?

$1,023

Typical negotiated rate. In Montana, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,023 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $1,023 from a physician practice, and about $1,047 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$1,023$661 to $1,023
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$1,047$1,023 to $1,318

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,047 · 10th to 90th $891 to $2,884Professionalmedian $1,023 · 10th to 90th $537 to $1,072
$100$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $1,047professional $1,023

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
$562.34
Median
$645.65
Typical High
$1,023.29
BCBS Montana
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,162.28
Median
$3,162.28
Typical High
$3,162.28
BCBS Montana
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,023.29
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$2,630.27
Typical High
$7,585.78
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,023.29
MountainHealth Co-op
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,174.90
MountainHealth Co-op
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$660.69
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,096.48
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$2,630.27
Typical High
$7,585.78
Providence
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$79.43
Median
$912.01
Typical High
$1,023.29
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,479.11
Median
$2,884.03
Typical High
$4,570.88
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,202.26

Where Montana sits

The same service costs 7.4 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.

Montana· 19th of 51

$1,023

AK $2,630TX $355

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.