Earwax removal cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal with instruments, one ear: from $75.00 to $291.10, with a median of $225.61. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $150.61 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $189.00 at 154 hospitals.
- The median here, $225.61, is 82% above the US median of $124.00.
- That is 3.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($60.27).
- San Diego, CA ranks 4th of 4 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 8 cities for code 69210, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 REM IMP CERUMEN+2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $75.00 | $563.21 | $43.79–$563.21 | 87% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 69210-Cerumen w/ Instrumentation File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $108.68 | $181.13 | $30.84–$3,004.00 | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa one side San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos one side San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion one side San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 REMOVAL IMPACTED CERUMEN INSTRUMENTATION UNILAT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $202.80 | $390.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Remove impacted Cerumen+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $225.61 | $376.01 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA FCT Remove Impacted Cerumen AC+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $225.61 | $376.01 | — | 40% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Impact Ear Wax File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $244.75 | $445.00 | $35.03–$5,480.00 | 45% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Remv Impacted Ear Wax Uni+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $291.10 | $1,164.41 | $27.56–$1,047.97 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Remvl Cerumen Req Instr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $291.10 | $1,164.41 | $27.56–$1,047.97 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Remvl Cerumen Req Instr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $291.10 | $1,164.41 | $27.56–$1,047.97 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Remvl Cerumen Req Instr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $291.10 | $1,164.41 | $27.56–$1,047.97 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Remvl Cerumen Req Instr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $291.10 | $1,164.41 | $27.56–$1,047.97 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Impact Ear Wax File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $360.80 | $656.00 | $35.03–$5,480.00 | 45% |
Outpatient: lowest $75.00, median $225.61, highest $291.10 — a 3.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $235.18. 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 8 of 11 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 earwax removal is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Earwax removal explained.