How much does a joint injection (cortisone shot) cost in Sacramento?
Steroid injection into a large joint such as the knee shoulder or hip. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 13 Sacramento-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.
$829
lowest median negotiated rate
UC Davis Medical Center
$1,117
highest (adult hospitals)
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento
1.3×
price spread
same procedure, same metro
Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt
cash (self-pay) price
| Hospital | Gross charge | Cash price | Negotiated | Range | # rates | vs median |
|---|
* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.
SOURCE: standard-charges files from 13 hospitals · file dates 2026-02-28 → 2026-04-01 · retrieved 2026-08-14
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Mercy General Hospital, the self-pay price is $240 — less than the $882 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.