Ear tubes surgery cost in Madison, WI
In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ear tube placement (tympanostomy) under general anesthesia, one ear: from $654.55 to $1,416.00, with a median of $1,035.28. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital — $380.73 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $610.62 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 69436, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 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 Madison, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 TYMPANOSTOMY GENERAL ANESTHESIA | $654.55 | $1,007.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Pro Tmpst Anes | $654.55 | $1,007.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 PR CREATE EARDRUM OPENING,GEN ANESTH | $1,416.00 | $1,770.00 | $147.06–$1,681.50 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital both sides Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Pro Tmpst Anes|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $981.82 | $1,510.50 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $654.55, median $1,035.28, highest $1,416.00 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $981.82, median $981.82, highest $981.82.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,035.28. 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 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 procedure makes a tiny opening in the eardrum and places a small tube to let air in and fluid drain out of the middle ear. It is most often done in children with repeated ear infections or lasting fluid behind the eardrum.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon and anesthesia are usually billed separately, and the code is for one ear.