CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: Virginia Mason Medical Center

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$5,215

about 1.6× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $2,674–$8,537

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$1,922

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $3,293 under the fair price · 0.6× Medicare

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $5,215 This hospital $1,922 Cash price $3,977 Hospital's list price $7,799

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WA hospitals

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

Cheapest $520 Priciest $1,922

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

A fair price for a Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair is about $5,215 (about 1.6× the $3,343 Medicare rate). Virginia Mason Medical Center charges insurers about $1,922, or about $3,977 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Seattle, WA.

What each insurance company pays

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

6 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	$582 - $11,950	17%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$612 - $11,012	18%
Aetnamajor	$66 - $14,500	2%
Cignamajor	$1,922 - $11,971	57%
Humanamajor	$600 - $3,534	18%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$600 - $8,817	18%
+ 2 smaller / regional plans	$612 - $4,995

Excludes 2 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 3,977), 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 Virginia Mason 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 Virginia Mason Medical Center

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other WA hospitals

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