Earwax removal cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal with instruments, one ear as an inpatient: from $116.00 to $117.60, with a median of $116.80. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center — $0.80 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $107.68 at 29 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 69210, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Removal Cerumen Impacted Requiring Instrumentation Unilateral | $116.00 | $116.00 | $8.63–$116.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR REMOVE IMPACTED EAR WAX | $117.60 | $147.00 | $29.04–$103.84 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR REMOVE IMPACTED EAR WAX | $117.60 | $147.00 | $29.04–$103.84 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN (EARWAX) | $373.26 | $466.57 | $202.02 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN (EARWAX) | $373.26 | $466.57 | $202.02 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $116.00, median $116.80, highest $117.60.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $92.42 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 0 of 2 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 removal of impacted earwax by a clinician with instruments such as a curette or suction, for one ear. Rinsing the ear uses a different code (69209).
What the price covers
The price is for one ear. Both ears may be billed twice.