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Cost of elbow bursitis drainage in Massachusetts

The average cash price for elbow bursitis drainage care in Massachusetts is $3,388 at a surgery center versus $5,467 at an outpatient hospital. While a surgery center may offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full range of support services that outpatient hospital provides, it may still be worth the (38%) you'd save when comparing the cost of elbow bursitis drainage performed at an outpatient hospital. Read More

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Average cash price in Massachusetts

A common elbow bursitis drainage at surgery center facility in Massachusetts includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $151

Provider fee to remove fluid-filled sac of elbow

Standard Standard
1 $527

Facility

Surgery center fee to remove fluid-filled sac of elbow

Standard Standard
1 $1,842

Imaging

Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI

Standard Standard
1 $368

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $18

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 2 Standard
1 $154

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
143 $328
Total average cash price   $3,388.47

A common elbow bursitis drainage at outpatient hospital facility in Massachusetts includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Orthopedic surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $151

Provider fee to remove fluid-filled sac of elbow

Standard Standard
1 $527

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to remove fluid-filled sac of elbow

level 3 Standard
1 $3,921

Imaging

Radiology fee for wrist or elbow MRI

Standard Standard
1 $368

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $18

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 2 Standard
1 $154

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
143 $328
Total average cash price   $5,466.96

Your elbow bursa is a fluid-filled sack near the tip of your elbow that cushions your skin and other soft tissues from your bone. The fluid inside the bursa helps your tissue move easily over the bone. Your bursa can become irritated or inflamed and swell up with more fluid, causing pain.

Other symptoms of elbow bursitis include swelling of your elbow and stiffness or pain within your elbow joint. Your elbow may appear red or feel tender when touched. Overuse or overexertion of your joint can increase inflammation, causing bursitis.

Bursitis can also occur from physical trauma to your elbow, like a hard hit or extended pressure from your elbow sitting on a hard surface. People with certain health conditions like gout and rheumatoid arthritis are more susceptible to bursitis.

If bacteria enter a wound at your elbow, an infection can occur in your bursa. The infection produces excess fluid, swelling, and pain in your elbow.

If at-home treatments fail to heal your elbow bursitis, you may need to get your bursitis drained. Getting your bursa drained will remove the fluid and ease your symptoms, allowing your elbow to heal. Draining your bursitis is a simple outpatient procedure. The process to drain your bursa is called aspiration.

Your elbow bursitis may heal on its own with rest, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, and using ice and heat. As you rest your elbow and inflammation is reduced, the fluid in your bursa may drain slowly on its own.

Your doctor may recommend using an elbow pad to protect your elbow while it heals and will prescribe antibiotics if an infection caused your bursitis.

An orthopedic doctor will treat your elbow bursitis.  Your doctor numbs the area with a local anesthetic before inserting a needle into your elbow bursa to drain the fluid. Your doctor may have the fluid analyzed to see if your bursitis was caused by an infection or a medical condition like gout.

Draining your bursa is the fastest way to heal elbow bursitis. Removing the fluid from your bursa reduces your pain and other symptoms. Your doctor may also inject you with a corticosteroid shot to further reduce inflammation.

Recovery from elbow bursitis drainage is quick because the procedure is non-invasive.   You will need a few weeks after the drainage for your elbow bursitis to fully heal. Ensure that you rest and avoid using the affected arm so the inflammation and bursitis don’t return. You can return to full use of your elbow in three to four weeks.

You will continue to experience pain and swelling if your elbow bursitis goes untreated. If an infection caused your bursitis, the infection can spread to other parts of your body. In the most serious and persistent cases, your elbow bursa may need to be surgically removed, and a new one will grow in its place.

About the elbow bursitis drainage Average Cash Prices

This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.

Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital, but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support services that a hospital provides.

Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital, but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to the hospital system.

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* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.