Ear irrigation cost in Columbus, OH
In Columbus, OH, 17 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal by irrigation (rinsing), one ear: from $61.04 to $584.35, with a median of $225.00. The lowest listed price is at Morrow County Hospital — $163.96 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $154.70 at 101 hospitals.
- The median here, $225.00, is 112% above the US median of $105.95.
- That is 3.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($60.27).
- Columbus, OH ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Ohio by median, cheapest first.
- 2 of 17 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 11 cities for code 69209, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 22, 2025 and Jul 31, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrow County Hospital lowest Mount Gilead, OH · (419) 946-5015 Removal of impacted ear wax by washing File of Oct 22, 2025 · source file | $61.04 | $93.90 | $34.74–$129.29 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel Dublin one side Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Rt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $67.60 | $104.00 | $46.70–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel East one side Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Rt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $67.60 | $104.00 | $46.70–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's one side Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Lt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $67.60 | $104.00 | $46.70–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel Grove City one side Grove City, OH HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Lt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $67.60 | $104.00 | $46.70–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Fairfield Medical Center Lancaster, OH · (740) 687-8000 REMOVAL OF IMPACTED EAR WAX File of Feb 26, 2026 · source file | $68.85 | $153.00 | $51.19–$734.00 | 55% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital one side Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRATION/LAVAGE, UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $74.70 | $83.00 | $39.01–$81.34 | 10% |
| Berger Hospital one side Circleville, OH · (740) 420-8008 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $79.95 | $123.00 | — | 35% |
| Morrow County Hospital Mount Gilead, OH · (419) 946-5015 Removal of impacted ear wax by washing File of Oct 22, 2025 · source file | $96.79 | $148.90 | $39.18–$144.43 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Bl File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $101.40 | $156.00 | $50.00–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel Dublin Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Bl File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $101.40 | $156.00 | $50.00–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel Grove City Grove City, OH HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Bl File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $101.40 | $156.00 | $49.06–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel East Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC Removal Ceremun Impacted Irrigation Bl File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $101.40 | $156.00 | $49.06–$3,186.00 | 35% |
| Hocking Valley Community Hospital one side Logan, OH · (740) 380-8000 HC Removal Impacted Cerumen Using Irrigation/Lavage Unilateral File of Jul 31, 2026 · source file | $225.00 | $225.00 | — | — |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Uni File of Mar 16, 2026 · source file | $275.20 | $275.20 | $55.74–$550.40 | — |
| Licking Memorial Hospital one side Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat File of Mar 16, 2026 · source file | $275.20 | $275.20 | $55.74–$550.40 | — |
| Grady Memorial Hospital one side Delaware, OH · (740) 368-5145 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $334.75 | $515.00 | — | 35% |
| Dublin Methodist Hospital one side Dublin, OH · (614) 544-8000 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
| Doctors Hospital one side Columbus, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
| Riverside Methodist Hospital one side Columbus, OH · (614) 566-5000 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
| Grant Medical Center one side Columbus, OH · (614) 566-9164 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
| Pickerington Methodist Hospital one side Pickerington, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
| Grove City Methodist one side Grove City, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Removal Impacted Cerumen By Irrig Unilat File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $584.35 | $899.00 | — | 35% |
Outpatient: lowest $61.04, median $225.00, highest $584.35 — a 9.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $186.00. 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 8 of 8 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 ear irrigation is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Ear irrigation explained.