Ear irrigation cost in Detroit, MI
In Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, 15 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal by irrigation (rinsing), one ear: from $71.90 to $309.00, with a median of $308.62. The lowest listed price is at McLaren Oakland — $236.72 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $101.90 at 71 hospitals.
- The median here, $308.62, is 191% above the US median of $105.95.
- That is 5.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($60.27).
- Detroit, MI ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Michigan by median, cheapest first.
- 8 of 15 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 14 cities for code 69209, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 26, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 31, 2025 and Jun 28, 2026.
Lowest$71.90McLaren Oakland
Median$308.62half of hospitals charge less
Highest$309.00in this market
Difference4.3×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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
median
Lowest $71.90Highest $309.00
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren Oakland one side lowest Pontiac, MI · (248) 338-5000 Removal Ear Wax with Irrigation Unilateral 69209 File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $71.90 | $143.80 | $32.49–$122.29 | 50% |
| McLaren Oakland Pontiac, MI · (248) 338-5000 Remove Impacted Ear Wax Irr Uni File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $71.90 | $143.80 | $32.49–$450.00 | 50% |
| McLaren Macomb one side Mount Clemens, MI · (586) 493-8000 Removal Ear Wax with Irrigation Unilateral 69209+1 more line at this price File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $75.65 | $151.30 | $32.49–$102.13 | 50% |
| McLaren Macomb Mount Clemens, MI · (586) 493-8000 Remove Impacted Ear Wax Irr Uni File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $75.65 | $151.30 | $32.49–$450.00 | 50% |
| Henry Ford Health West Bloomfield Hospital one side West Bloomfield, MI · (248) 325-1000 HB REM IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRIGATION/LAVAGE, UNILATERAL File of Jun 28, 2026 · source file | $81.12 | $110.00 | $14.00–$2,056.00 | 26% |
| Henry Ford Health Hospital Detroit, MI · (313) 916-2600 HB REM IMPACTED CERUMEN IRRIGATION/LAVAGE,BIL SUPPORT STAFF File of Jun 28, 2026 · source file | $81.12 | $110.00 | $14.00–$1,075.00 | 26% |
| Henry Ford Health Hospital one side Detroit, MI · (313) 916-2600 HB REM IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRIGATION/LAVAGE, UNILATERAL File of Jun 28, 2026 · source file | $81.12 | $110.00 | $14.00–$1,075.00 | 26% |
| Henry Ford Health West Bloomfield Hospital West Bloomfield, MI · (248) 325-1000 HB REM IMPACTED CERUMEN IRRIGATION/LAVAGE,BIL SUPPORT STAFF File of Jun 28, 2026 · source file | $81.12 | $110.00 | $14.00–$2,056.00 | 26% |
| McLaren Oakland one side Pontiac, MI · (248) 338-5000 Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $83.95 | $167.90 | $32.49–$122.29 | 50% |
| VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan one side Detroit, MI · (313) 745-5437 CERUMEN REMOV IRRIG RIGHT File of Apr 6, 2026 · source file | $93.75 | $125.00 | — | 25% |
| VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan one side Detroit, MI · (313) 745-5437 IMPACT WAX REMOV IRRIG LT+1 more line at this price File of Apr 6, 2026 · source file | $99.00 | $132.00 | — | 25% |
| McLaren Port Huron one side Port Huron, MI · (810) 987-5000 Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat+1 more line at this price File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $101.90 | $203.80 | $32.49–$103.53 | 50% |
| McLaren Port Huron Port Huron, MI · (810) 987-5000 Remove Impacted Ear Wax Irr Uni File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $101.90 | $203.80 | $32.49–$450.00 | 50% |
| McLaren Lapeer Region one side Lapeer, MI · (810) 667-5500 Removal Ear Wax with Irrigation Unilateral 69209 File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $127.55 | $255.10 | $32.49–$92.69 | 50% |
| McLaren Lapeer Region Lapeer, MI · (810) 667-5500 Remove Impacted Ear Wax Irr Uni File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $127.55 | $255.10 | $32.49–$92.69 | 50% |
| Beaumont Hospital - Taylor Taylor, MI · (313) 295-5000 Hc Ed Remove Impact Cerumen Irrigate+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $308.62 | $308.62 | — | — |
| Corewell Health Trenton Hospital Trenton, MI · (734) 671-3800 Hc Ed Remove Impact Cerumen Irrigate+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $308.62 | $308.62 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital - Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe, MI · (313) 473-1000 Hc Ed Remove Impact Cerumen Irrigate+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $308.62 | $308.62 | — | — |
| Corewell Health Wayne Hospital Wayne, MI · (734) 467-4175 Hc Ed Remove Impact Cerumen Irrigate+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $308.62 | $308.62 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital, Troy Troy, MI · (248) 964-8800 Hc Ed Remove Impact Cerumen Irrigate+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $308.62 | $308.62 | — | — |
| Corewell Health Trenton Hospital Trenton, MI · (734) 671-3800 HC REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak Royal Oak, MI · (248) 898-5400 HC REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Corewell Health Wayne Hospital Wayne, MI · (734) 467-4175 HC ED REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital - Dearborn Dearborn, MI · (313) 593-7125 HC ED REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital - Taylor Taylor, MI · (313) 295-5000 HC REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital, Troy Troy, MI · (248) 964-8800 HC ED REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital Farmington Hills, MI · (248) 471-8000 HC REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
| Beaumont Hospital - Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe, MI · (313) 473-1000 HC REMOVE IMPACT CERUMEN IRRIGATE+1 more line at this price File of May 1, 2026 · source file | $309.00 | $309.00 | — | — |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Outpatient: lowest $71.90, median $308.62, highest $309.00 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $308.62. 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 5 of 6 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.