Tonsillectomy, age 12+ cost in Columbus, OH
In Columbus, OH, 3 hospitals list a cash price for tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) only, age 12 or older: from $1,155.60 to $12,414.41, with a median of $11,837.06. The lowest listed price is at Nationwide Children's Hospital — $10,681.46 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $5,255.82 at 26 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 42826, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Apr 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 Columbus, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Children's Hospital lowest Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 PR TONSILLECTOMY PRIMARY/SECONDARY AGE 12/> | $1,155.60 | $1,284.00 | $924.48–$963.00 | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel East Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC Tonsillectomy Primary or Secondary =>12 Years (Restricted Method II CAH) | $11,837.06 | — | $632.00–$11,925.02 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC Tonsillectomy Primary or Secondary =>12 Years (Restricted Method II CAH) | $12,414.41 | — | $632.00–$11,925.02 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,155.60, median $11,837.06, highest $12,414.41 — a 10.7× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 3 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 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.