Tonsillectomy, age 12+ cost in Cleveland, OH — inpatient
In Cleveland, OH, 3 hospitals list a cash price for tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) only, age 12 or older as an inpatient: from $318.75 to $4,571.50, with a median of $774.14. The lowest listed price is at Southwest General Health Center — $455.39 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $5,255.82 at 26 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 42826, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 1, 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 Cleveland, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest General Health Center lowest Middleburg Heights, OH · (440) 816-8000 TONSILLECTOMY, PRIMARY/SECONDARY; AGE 12 | $318.75 | $425.00 | $720.00 | 25% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Metrohealth System Cleveland, OH · (216) 778-7089 Tonsillectomy, Primary/Secondary; Age 12+ | $774.14 | $2,211.83 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Summa Health System Akron, OH · (330) 375-3000 Hc Asc Removal Of Tonsils | $4,571.50 | $4,571.50 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $318.75, median $774.14, highest $4,571.50 — a 14.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $2,734.25 — 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 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 the tonsils, without the adenoids, in someone age 12 or older. It is done for repeated throat infections, large tonsils that block breathing during sleep, or other tonsil problems.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon's fee and anesthesia are usually billed separately.