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Cash prices Minnesota Outpatient

Tonsillectomy cost in Minnesota without insurance

In Minnesota, the median cash price for Tonsillectomy, age 12+ is $1,469.54 across 13 hospitals, from $389.98 to $10,077.03. The lowest is at Lakewood Health System (Staples). The US median is $4,277.65.

Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. §144.589): a hospital may not charge an uninsured patient whose household income is under $125,000 more than the lowest amount it would be paid for the same service by a private insurer, counting the insured patient's share. If the cash price below is higher, ask the billing office to apply this limit. Each hospital's page here shows the range of insurer rates in its own file (the "Insurers pay" column), a starting point when you ask. Other states' laws.

Tonsil and adenoid removal is one of the most common operations in children, done as same-day surgery. The code depends on age (under 12 or 12 and older) and on whether the adenoids are removed too. Ear tubes are often placed in the same visit and are billed separately.

Collected Nov 11, 2026 One price per hospital: its lowest outpatient cash price for the code

Tonsillectomy prices in Minnesota by type

42826 is tonsil removal at age 12 or older and is used in the state table; 42825 is the same under 12; 42820 and 42821 remove tonsils and adenoids in children and in older patients; 42830 removes the adenoids only; and 69436 and 69433 are ear tube placements under general and local anesthesia.

ProcedureHospitalsRangeMedianUS median
Tonsillectomy, age 12+ Tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) only, age 12 or older · code 42826 13 $389.98–$10,077.03 $1,469.54 $4,277.65
Tonsil and adenoid removal, 12+ Tonsil and adenoid removal, age 12 or older · code 42821 12 $469.96–$12,427.35 $1,723.69 $4,243.00
Tonsillectomy, child Tonsil and adenoid removal, child under 12 · code 42820 10 $453.22–$14,455.00 $843.70 $5,577.00
Tonsillectomy, child Tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) only, child under 12 · code 42825 8 $406.72–$13,636.00 $693.26 $5,433.37
Adenoidectomy Adenoid removal (adenoidectomy), child under 12 · code 42830 9 $384.75–$10,468.49 $910.35 $4,138.63
Ear tubes surgery Ear tube placement (tympanostomy) under general anesthesia, one ear · code 69436 18 $289.50–$3,808.00 $1,841.80 $2,762.69
Ear tubes, local anesthesia Ear tube placement (tympanostomy) with local anesthesia, one ear · code 69433 19 $66.40–$3,775.00 $437.38 $741.60
Procedure The service and its billing code (CPT or HCPCS). Opens the comparison of every hospital that prices it. More
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Middle 80% Cash prices of most hospitals: a tenth of hospitals charge less than the first number (P10), a tenth charge more than the second (P90). More
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
US median The median cash price across all US hospitals that publish one for this code.

Outpatient cash prices in Minnesota. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest cash price for the code; prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Pick a procedure to compare every hospital in the state.

Lowest Tonsillectomy, age 12+ prices in Minnesota

Tonsillectomy cost in other states

Paying cash: what to do

  • Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
  • If ear tubes are placed at the same time, ask for one price for both.
  • Ambulatory surgery centers often charge much less than hospital outpatient departments.