Ear irrigation cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 7 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal by irrigation (rinsing), one ear as an inpatient: from $24.00 to $310.32, with a median of $114.48. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Lincoln and 1 other hospital — $90.48 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $59.80 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 7 cities for code 69209, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 12, 2026 and Jun 12, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side lowest Elsberry, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities one side lowest Washington, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side lowest Elsberry, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side lowest Elsberry, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side lowest Elsberry, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side lowest Elsberry, MO Removal Impacted Cerumen Irrigation/Lvg Unilat | $24.00 | $32.00 | $12.80–$28.80 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 EAR IRRIGATION(ONE EAR) | $36.48 | $60.80 | $60.80 | 40% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 REMOVE IMPACTED EAR WAX UNI | $114.48 | $159.00 | $6.00–$159.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRIGATION/LAVAGE UNI | $126.72 | $176.00 | $49.28–$176.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRIGATION/LAVAGE UNI | $156.24 | $217.00 | $60.76–$217.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN USING IRRIGATION/LAVAGE UNI | $310.32 | $431.00 | $62.83–$431.00 | 28% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $24.00, median $114.48, highest $310.32 — a 12.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $75.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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 code covers rinsing impacted earwax out of one ear with water or saline.
What the price covers
The price is for one ear.