Ear tubes surgery cost in Worcester, MA
In Worcester, MA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ear tube placement (tympanostomy) under general anesthesia, one ear: from $5,510.00 to $6,437.00, with a median of $5,973.50. The lowest listed price is at UMass Memorial Medical Center — $463.50 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $4,660.53 at 6 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 Mar 26, 2026 and Mar 26, 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 Worcester, MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Memorial Medical Center lowest Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Tympanostomy Gen Anes W Tubes | $5,510.00 | $5,510.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC Tympanostomy Gen Anes W Tubes | $6,437.00 | $6,437.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 Create Eardrum Opening,Gen Anesth | $12,132.30 | $12,132.30 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 Create Eardrum Opening,Gen Anesth | $12,294.78 | $12,294.78 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5,510.00, median $5,973.50, highest $6,437.00 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $5,973.50. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.