Ear tubes, local anesthesia cost in Columbus, OH — inpatient
In Columbus, OH, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ear tube placement (tympanostomy) with local anesthesia, one ear as an inpatient: from $371.80 to $423.00, with a median of $397.40. The lowest listed price is at Berger Hospital — $25.60 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $490.10 at 29 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 69433, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Columbus, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berger Hospital lowest Circleville, OH · (740) 420-8008 Hc Tympanostomy W Local Anesthesia | $371.80 | $572.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital one side Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 TYMPANOSTOMY W/ LOCAL OR TOPICAL ANESTHESIA, UNILAT | $423.00 | $470.00 | $220.90–$460.60 | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital both sides Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 TYMPANOSTOMY W/ LOCAL OR TOPICAL ANESTHESIA, BILAT | $729.00 | $810.00 | $380.70–$793.80 | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $371.80, median $397.40, highest $423.00 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $729.00, median $729.00, highest $729.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $397.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 placing a small tube in the eardrum while awake, with numbing medicine, usually in older children or adults.
What the price covers
The price covers the procedure and the tube. The office visit may be billed separately.