CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: St Luke's Patients Medical Center

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$4,789

about 1.4× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $3,538–$5,264

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$3,635

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $1,154 under the fair price · 1.1× Medicare

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $4,789 This hospital $3,635 Cash price $1,866 Hospital's list price $5,331

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other TX hospitals

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

Cheapest $433 Priciest $3,635

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

A fair price for a Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair is about $4,789 (about 1.4× the $3,343 Medicare rate). St Luke's Patients Medical Center charges insurers about $3,635, or about $1,866 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Pasadena, TX.

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	$1,110 - $6,032	33%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$1,088 - $5,256	33%
Aetnamajor	$1,528 - $4,051	46%
Cignamajor	$3,198 - $10,059	96%
Humanamajor	$3,250 - $4,000	97%
Ambetter (Centene)	$4,875	146%
Bright Health	$4,736	142%
Devoted Health	$3,477	104%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$3,250 - $4,875

Excludes 4 rental-network / third-party entries (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 1,866), 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 St Luke's Patients Medical Center 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 St Luke's Patients Medical Center

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other TX hospitals

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