Ear irrigation cost in Charlotte, NC
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 14 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal by irrigation (rinsing), one ear: from $60.75 to $907.00, with a median of $171.43. The lowest listed price is at Iredell Memorial Hospital — $110.68 less than the median here. Across North Carolina, the median is $106.20 at 52 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 11 cities for code 69209, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 1, 2025 and May 11, 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iredell Memorial Hospital lowest Statesville, NC · (704) 878-5661 REMOVAL OF CERUMEN IMPACTION ED Charge File of Dec 31, 2025 · source file | $60.75 | $225.00 | $51.55–$450.00 | 73% |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC CERUMEN REMOVAL IRRIG/LAVAGE AMB+1 more line at this price File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $38.67–$325.71 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC ER REMOVAL CERUMEN VIA IRRIGATION+1 more line at this price File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $51.29–$325.71 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC CERUMEN REMOVAL IRRIG/LAVAGE AMB+1 more line at this price File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $44.57–$325.71 | 50% |
| Atrium Health University City Charlotte, NC · (704) 548-6000 HC CERUMEN REMOVAL IRRIG/LAVAGE AMB+1 more line at this price File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $34.29–$332.56 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC ER REMOVAL CERUMEN VIA IRRIGATION+1 more line at this price File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $34.29–$315.42 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC HC CERUMEN REMOVAL IRRIG/LAVAGE AMB+1 more line at this price File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $57.63–$315.42 | 50% |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC CERUMEN REMOVAL IRRIG/LAVAGE AMB+1 more line at this price File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $42.07–$325.71 | 50% |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ER REMOVAL CERUMEN VIA IRRIGATION+3 more lines at this price File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $171.43 | $342.85 | $57.63–$314.06 | 50% |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center one side Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB IRRIGATE / LAVAGE IMPACTED CERUMEN; UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.00 | $378.00 | — | 50% |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN UNIL IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $360.00 | $360.00 | $54.18–$342.00 | — |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN UNIL IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $360.00 | $360.00 | $54.18–$342.00 | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN UNIL IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $360.00 | $360.00 | $54.18–$342.00 | — |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center one side Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB IRRIGATE / LAVAGE IMPACTED CERUMEN; UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $907.00 | $1,814.00 | — | 50% |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital both sides Mount Holly, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN BILAT IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $720.00 | $720.00 | $60.27–$684.00 | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital both sides Belmont, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN BILAT IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $720.00 | $720.00 | $60.27–$684.00 | — |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia both sides Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 HCHG REMV IMPACTD CERUMN BILAT IRRIGN File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $720.00 | $720.00 | $60.27–$684.00 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $60.75, median $171.43, highest $907.00 — a 14.9× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $720.00, median $720.00, highest $720.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $171.43. 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 9 of 12 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 code covers rinsing impacted earwax out of one ear with water or saline.
What the price covers
The price is for one ear.