CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: Nationwide Children's Hospital

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$2,319

about 0.7× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $1,146–$6,387

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$1,747

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $572 under the fair price · 0.5× Medicare

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $2,319 This hospital $1,747 Cash price $2,462 Hospital's list price $2,735

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other OH hospitals

Highest price of the 9 OH hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $497 Priciest $1,747

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 OH hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair is about $2,319 (about 0.7× the $3,343 Medicare rate). Nationwide Children's Hospital charges insurers about $1,747, or about $2,462 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Columbus, OH.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana Kaiser 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	$1,445 - $2,813	43%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$1,644 - $2,813	49%
Aetnamajor	$1,738 - $2,051	52%
Cignamajor	$2,051	61%
Humanamajor	$1,218 - $2,813	36%
AmeriHealth	$2,813	84%
CareSource	$743 - $5,014	22%
Molina	$2,813	84%
+ 6 smaller / regional plans	$1,548 - $2,051

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 (about 2,462), 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 Nationwide Children's Hospital 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.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other OH hospitals

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