Recovery after a knee or hip replacement brings its own bills: therapy, equipment, rides until you can drive, help at home, supplies and often unpaid time off. This planner maps those costs onto the recovery timeline described by OrthoInfo, MedlinePlus and the NHS, then shows how to price each line.
The costs that start when the hospital bill ends
A joint replacement quote usually stops at the hospital door. Recovery does not. For weeks afterwards there are therapy sessions to pay for and get to, equipment to buy or borrow, someone to help at home, medicines and supplies, and for many people a stretch without full pay. None of it is unusual, but because it is spread across many small bills it is easy to underestimate.
The planner above adds up five lines: therapy, devices, transport, home help and other recovery costs. Keep this budget separate from the hospital quote. That way you can see which part of the episode is driving the total, and you can compare a home surgery and a surgery elsewhere on the same recovery assumptions.
Map the costs onto the recovery timeline
Rehab costs are front-loaded but long-tailed. The milestones below come from patient-education sources; your own surgeon's instructions take priority, and recovery varies from person to person.
| Period | What the sources describe | Costs that tend to fall here |
|---|---|---|
| First two weeks | Walking with a walker, crutches or cane; stitches or staples removed about 2 weeks after hip replacement (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026); someone at home for 1 to 2 weeks after hip replacement (MedlinePlus, 2024) | Equipment, home help, first therapy visits, wound-check visit, rides |
| Weeks 2 to 6 | Most hip patients no longer need walking aids after 2 to 4 weeks (MedlinePlus, 2024); most normal daily activities resume within 3 to 6 weeks after knee replacement (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026) | Ongoing therapy, rides to sessions, compression stockings |
| Weeks 4 to 12 | Most people resume driving about 4 to 6 weeks after knee replacement (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026); the NHS says wait at least 6 weeks after a total knee and 3 weeks after a partial, and describes return to work usually after about 6 to 12 weeks depending on the job (NHS, 2026) | Lost income, last therapy blocks, transport until you drive |
| Up to 3 months and beyond | The NHS advises avoiding heavy household tasks such as vacuuming or carrying shopping for the first 3 months after knee replacement, and says full recovery may take several months or longer (NHS, 2026) | Paid help with heavy chores, follow-up visits and X-rays |
Line 1: Physical therapy
Therapy is usually the largest rehab line. OrthoInfo describes exercises several times a day and a physical therapist who may help during the first few weeks, either at home or in a therapy center (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026). To price it, you need three answers from your surgeon or therapist and one from whoever pays:
- Where: home visits, an outpatient clinic, or a rehabilitation facility.
- How often and for how long the surgeon expects you to attend.
- Whether a home exercise program will replace some supervised sessions.
- Your cost per visit: the self-pay rate, or your copay or coinsurance and any visit limits on your plan.
Multiply cost per visit by the expected number of visits and enter it in the therapy box. If you are having surgery away from home, split the visits between the two places and price both.
If you will not have help at home, OrthoInfo notes you may need a stay in a rehabilitation facility after discharge (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026). That is a much larger line than outpatient therapy, so find out early whether it applies to you and how it would be covered.
Line 2: Equipment and home changes
OrthoInfo's home-preparation lists mention a walker, cane or crutches; a raised toilet seat; a shower chair or bench; grab bars or handrails; a reacher; a long-handled sponge and shoehorn; and, for hip patients, a sock aid and dressing stick (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026). For knee patients it suggests a stable chair with a seat height of 18 to 20 inches, a firm back, two arms and a footstool (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026).
You may not need all of it, and some of it may be supplied by the hospital or available to borrow. OrthoInfo even suggests borrowing a walker, cane or crutches before surgery to practice at home (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026). Ask the team which items they expect you to need, then price only those. The home setup score helps you decide which changes your particular home needs.
Line 3: Transport
Until you are cleared to drive, every therapy visit and follow-up appointment needs a ride. Count the trips (therapy visits plus doctor visits) during the period before you expect to drive, and price each one as a family member's time and fuel, a taxi or rideshare, or a medical transport service. MedlinePlus says not to drive after hip replacement until the surgeon says it is OK (MedlinePlus, 2024). If you will be a passenger on long journeys, MedlinePlus also suggests stopping to walk about every 2 hours. OrthoInfo mentions applying for a temporary disabled parking permit several weeks before surgery if you drive.
Line 4: Help at home
OrthoInfo recommends arranging for someone to stay with you for several days after surgery and for someone to check on you daily (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026), and notes that after knee replacement you may need help with cooking, shopping, bathing and laundry for several weeks (AAOS OrthoInfo, 2026). If that help is a family member, put a value on their time off. If it is paid, price the hours you expect, not just the first day. The caregiver task map breaks the first week into specific jobs.
Line 5: Medicines, supplies and follow-up
Use the "other" box for take-home prescriptions, dressings, compression stockings, ice packs, and any copays for follow-up visits and X-rays. After hip replacement, MedlinePlus describes blood thinners for 2 to 4 weeks and compression stockings for about 6 weeks (MedlinePlus, 2024). Check whether the hospital supplies the first course or whether you fill it yourself.
Time away from work
For many people, lost income is the biggest recovery cost of all, and the calculator does not include it, so work it out separately. List your expected weeks off, how much of that is covered by paid sick leave, vacation or disability insurance, and what is left unpaid.
In the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of job-protected, unpaid leave in a 12-month period. Eligibility generally requires working for a covered employer for at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before leave, and at a location with at least 50 employees within 75 miles. Employers may require you to use paid leave during FMLA leave and may ask for medical certification (US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #28, 2025). FMLA protects the job, not the paycheck, so it reduces risk but not cost. Your caregiver's time off is a cost too; include it.
An illustrative layout
Hypothetical, with no real prices. A patient planning a knee replacement lists therapy as a per-visit cost multiplied by the visits the surgeon expects, plus a few extra. Equipment is short because a neighbor lends a walker and the bathroom already has a grab bar. Transport is larger than expected: every therapy visit before driving needs a ride. Home help is a family member's two weeks of unpaid leave, valued at their lost pay. The biggest number turns out to be the patient's own unpaid time off work. Seeing that, the patient checks paid leave and disability cover first, because that line moves the total more than any equipment decision.
Add a contingency
Recovery rarely follows the average exactly. A few extra therapy sessions, a second walking aid, a longer period before driving or a slower return to work are common reasons the budget overruns. Add a contingency line rather than assuming the shortest timeline.
Frequently asked questions
How many physical therapy sessions will I need after a joint replacement?
There is no single number. It depends on the joint, your progress and your surgeon's protocol. Ask your surgeon or therapist how often and for how long they expect you to attend, then check your plan's visit limits.
Do I need to buy all the equipment on recovery checklists?
Usually not. Ask your surgical team which items they expect you to need, check what the hospital supplies, and borrow where you can. OrthoInfo even suggests borrowing a walking aid before surgery to practice.
Does FMLA pay me while I recover?
No. FMLA leave is job-protected but unpaid. Pay during recovery depends on your employer's paid leave, any disability insurance you have, and whether your employer requires paid leave to run alongside FMLA leave.
When can I drive again after knee or hip replacement?
Your surgeon decides. OrthoInfo says most people resume driving about 4 to 6 weeks after knee replacement, and the NHS says to wait at least 6 weeks after a total knee. Budget rides for the whole period before you are cleared.
Should rehab costs count if I am comparing surgery at home with surgery abroad?
Yes, in both scenarios. Many recovery costs exist either way, so including them on both sides shows where the real difference lies.
Compare a joint replacement plan or quote
Start with the joint, side, destination preference and timing. You do not need to upload the full medical record here.
Related joint-replacement guides
Orthopedic lead network
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Total Hip Replacement (2026)
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Total Knee Replacement (2026)
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Preparing for Joint Replacement Surgery (2026)
- MedlinePlus: Hip replacement - discharge (reviewed 2024)
- MedlinePlus: Taking care of your new hip joint (reviewed 2024)
- NHS: Recovering from a knee replacement (reviewed 2026)
- US Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #28, FMLA (revised 2025)
These sources support general joint-replacement preparation, procedure and medical-travel concepts. They do not establish a personal diagnosis, treatment recommendation, implant selection or travel-clearance date.