Earwax removal cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal with instruments, one ear: from $75.00 to $244.75, with a median of $202.80. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $127.80 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $175.28 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 69210, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 REM EAR WAX UNI/BIL - 69210 - 6500755 | $75.00 | $167.88 | $43.79–$563.21 | 55% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 REM IMP CERUMEN | $75.00 | $563.21 | $43.79–$563.21 | 87% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 REM EAR WAX UNI/BIL - 69210 - 6011712 | $75.00 | $167.88 | $43.79–$563.21 | 55% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 69210-Cerumen w/ Instrumentation | $108.68 | $181.13 | $30.84–$3,004.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion one side San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa one side San Diego, CA REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos one side San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Impact Ear Wax | $244.75 | $445.00 | $35.03–$5,480.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Impact Ear Wax | $360.80 | $656.00 | $35.03–$5,480.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $75.00, median $202.80, highest $244.75 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $202.80. 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 3 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 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.