Surgery and procedures CPT 42821 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Tonsil and adenoid removal, 12+ cost in Madison, WI — inpatient

In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for tonsil and adenoid removal, age 12 or older as an inpatient: from $1,375.20 to $1,617.20, with a median of $1,496.20. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Meriter — $121.00 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $1,617.20 at 26 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 42821, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$1,375.20UnityPoint Health - Meriter
Median$1,496.20half pay less
Highest$1,617.20in this market
Difference1.2×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Madison, WI.

median
Lowest $1,375.20Highest $1,617.20

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
UnityPoint Health - Meriter lowest Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 PR REMOVE TONSILS/ADENOIDS,12+ Y/O $1,375.20 $1,719.00 $280.27–$1,633.05 20% Jan 28, 2026
source file
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 TONSILLECTOMY & ADENOIDECTOMY AGE 12/> $1,617.20 $2,488.00 — 35% Apr 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $1,375.20, median $1,496.20, highest $1,617.20 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,496.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 someone age 12 or older. It is done for repeated infections or for snoring and breathing problems during sleep caused by enlarged 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.