CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: Stanford Health Care

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$4,887

about 1.5× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $1,495–$15,627

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $4,887

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna CignaHumanaKaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$28,573	855%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$21,946 - $41,400	657%
Aetnamajor	$34,690	1038%
Health Net	$4,813	144%

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price, before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 29881.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Stanford Health Care is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 29881.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Other Procedures at Stanford Health Care

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other CA hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.