Ear tubes surgery cost in Nashville, TN — inpatient
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ear tube placement (tympanostomy) under general anesthesia, one ear as an inpatient: from $185.02 to $344.52, with a median of $264.77. The lowest listed price is at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital — $79.75 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $1,311.84 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 69436, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital lowest Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 CREATE EARDRUM OPENING,GEN ANESTH | $185.02 | $638.00 | $96.58–$638.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 CREATE EARDRUM OPENING,GEN ANESTH | $344.52 | $638.00 | $96.58–$638.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC TYMPANOSTOMY W/ANES GENL | $1,429.70 | $4,930.00 | $720.97–$4,930.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 HC TYMPANOSTOMY W/ANES GENL | $2,662.20 | $4,930.00 | $1,376.06–$4,930.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $185.02, median $264.77, highest $344.52 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $264.77 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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 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.