Tonsil and adenoid removal, 12+ cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for tonsil and adenoid removal, age 12 or older: from $3,306.33 to $32,159.70, with a median of $17,733.02. The lowest listed price is at Virginia Mason Medical Center — $14,426.69 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $7,297.45 at 6 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 42821, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Mason Medical Center lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 *TONSILLECTOMY AND ADENOIDECTOMY- AGE 12 OR OVER-FAC | $3,306.33 | $6,483.00 | $3,889.80–$5,186.40 | 49% | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy Age 12/> | $32,159.70 | — | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $3,306.33, median $17,733.02, highest $32,159.70 — a 9.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $3,306.33. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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 and 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 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.