Tonsillectomy, child cost in Idaho Falls, ID
In Idaho Falls, ID, 2 hospitals list a cash price for tonsil and adenoid removal, child under 12: from $500.80 to $5,347.50, with a median of $2,924.15. The lowest listed price is at Lost Rivers Medical Center — $2,423.35 less than the median here. Across Idaho, the median is $7,950.00 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 42820, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between May 7, 2026 and May 7, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Idaho Falls, ID.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Rivers Medical Center lowest Arco, ID · (208) 252-7654 Removal of tonsils and adenoid glands (younger than 12 years) | $500.80 | $626.00 | $354.94–$10,886.49 | 20% | May 7, 2026 source file |
| Mountain View Hospital Idaho Falls, ID · (208) 557-2700 REMOVAL OF TONSILS AND ADENOID GLANDS (YOUNGER THAN 12 YEARS) | $5,347.50 | $5,347.50 | $4,932.67–$13,094.55 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $500.80, median $2,924.15, highest $5,347.50 — a 10.7× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This is surgery to remove both the tonsils and the adenoids in a child younger than 12. It is commonly done for repeated throat infections or for snoring and breathing problems during sleep caused by large tonsils and adenoids.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon's fee and anesthesia are usually billed separately.