What a knee replacement costs: United States vs. other countries
Replacing one knee joint, with a hospital stay and no complications.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for a knee replacement, from one report on the same basis: $26,340 in the United States, $15,216 in the United Kingdom, $8,522 in Germany, $13,609 in Australia. Source: International Health Care Cost Comparison Report 2024 (Report dated October 2024. Prices are for 2022.). These are not what one patient was charged; what patients pay is in the table.
| Country | Price paid to the hospital | What a patient usually pays | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $26,340 (iFHP) | $2,733 on average with employer insurance (JAAOS) | 40% of adults who needed non-emergency surgery had it within a month of being told they needed it (all kinds of surgery, 2023 survey) (Commonwealth Fund) |
| Canada | $8,151 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients had surgery within 146 days of being ready for it (CIHI) |
| United Kingdom | $15,216 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients had a knee replacement within 133 days of the specialist deciding on it (OECD) |
| France | €6,262.33: the set payment to a public hospital for the stay, simplest cases (ATIH) | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | 35% of adults who needed non-emergency surgery had it within a month of being told they needed it (all kinds of surgery, 2023 survey) (Commonwealth Fund) |
| Germany | $8,522 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | 50% of adults who needed non-emergency surgery had it within a month of being told they needed it (all kinds of surgery, 2023 survey) (Commonwealth Fund) |
| Japan | ¥376,900: the national fee for a knee replacement alone. The hospital stay, anaesthesia and materials are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $13,609 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients waited 255 days or less in public hospitals (Productivity Commission) |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.