CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$3,262

about 1.0× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $1,970–$4,999

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$3,099

About the fair price

about $163 under the fair price · 0.9× Medicare

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $3,262 This hospital $3,099

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WI hospitals

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

Cheapest $544 Priciest $3,099

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

A fair price for a Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair is about $3,262 (about 1.0× the $3,343 Medicare rate). Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center charges insurers about $3,099 — about the fair price. Located in La Crosse, WI.

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	$935 - $3,214	28%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$935 - $9,758	28%
Aetnamajor	$3,214	96%
Amerigroup	$3,099 - $3,214	93%
HealthPartners	$3,084	92%
Molina	$3,099	93%
UCare	$3,084 - $3,375	92%
+ 7 smaller / regional plans	$935 - $16,332

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 Gundersen Lutheran 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 Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other WI hospitals

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