Hoping to get help with CPT codes

[jmcquaid]

I'm writing in the hopes that someone with knowledge of CPT codes might be willing to chat with me. I am a sociologist at Framingham State University, and I'm working on some research that involves working a bit with CPT codes, which I know absolutely nothing about.

Essentially, we're looking to explore access to pricing for medical services across hospitals in the United States, so I need to come up with a list of codes that might reasonably end up on the bill for someone who is getting a knee replacement and a similar list of codes for a hip replacement. I understand that every operation is different and that different patients will end up receiving different services depending on the particulars of their situations. All I am hoping to get is a set of codes that list services that a patient might receive. Basically, I'm imagining the most standard operation with no complications or unexpected issues. 

My research team and I plan to call hospitals around the country to see what processes hospitals have in place to help people plan financially for services, so we plan to ask how much the services attached to our hip replacement and knee replacement lists would be (specifically for an uninsured patient so as to avoid all of the complications that comes with the contracts providers have with insurance companies).

I really appreciate your time, and it would be wonderful speak with someone. I'm happy to converse on this forum or more directly via email (jmcquaid [at] framingham.edu).

Thanks!
-Jim

PS: Just to verify my identity, here's a link to the faculty profile page for my department: 

https://www.framingham.edu/academics/colleges/social-and-behavioral-sciences/sociology/faculty/index

My name is Jim McQuaid. I'm about halfway down the page.