Earwax removal cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for earwax removal with instruments, one ear as an inpatient: from $108.68 to $244.75, with a median of $202.80. The lowest listed price is at Tri-City Medical Center — $94.12 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $175.28 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 69210, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center lowest Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 69210-Cerumen w/ Instrumentation | $108.68 | $181.13 | $126.79–$141.10 | 40% | May 29, 2026 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 |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $108.68, median $202.80, highest $244.75 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $202.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 5 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 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.