Surgery and procedures CPT 42821 205 markets

Tonsil and adenoid removal, 12+ cost without insurance

Across 205 US markets, hospitals list an outpatient cash price for tonsil and adenoid removal, age 12 or older from $342.67 to $33,427.05. The median market price is $2,047.62. Prices come from each hospital's own price file; pick your area below to compare hospitals side by side.

Collected Sep 25, 2026 Each price links to its source file All Tonsillectomy costs

Lowest$342.67any market
Median market$2,047.62middle of market medians
Highest$33,427.05any market
Listings388hospital prices

What it is

This is surgery to remove both the tonsils and the adenoids in someone age 12 or older. It is done for repeated infections or for snoring and breathing problems during sleep caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids.

What the price covers

The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon's fee and anesthesia are usually billed separately.

Why prices differ

Prices differ between children's hospitals, general hospital outpatient departments and surgery centers, and when an overnight observation stay is needed.

What to ask

Ask whether the self-pay price for CPT 42821 includes anesthesia and the surgeon, and whether an overnight stay would add to the cost.

Prices by state

Median outpatient cash price, one line per hospital. Pick a state to see every hospital, cheapest first.

Prices by market

Outpatient cash prices. “×” is how many times the highest price in that market exceeds the lowest.

MarketHospitalsLowest MedianHighest×
Anaconda, MT single city 1 $786.08 $786.08 $786.08 1.0×
Anna, IL single city 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Antigo, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Ada, OK 1 $6,298.39 $6,298.39 $6,298.39 1.0×
Akron, OH 3 $581.40 $1,133.60 $3,600.75 6.2×
Albany, OR 2 $858.40 $858.40 $858.40 1.0×
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 1 $10,100.90 $10,100.90 $10,100.90 1.0×
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 1 $4,075.26 $4,075.26 $4,075.26 1.0×
Anchorage, AK 1 $2,305.00 $2,305.00 $2,305.00 1.0×
Ann Arbor, MI 1 $508.40 $508.40 $508.40 1.0×
Appleton, WI 2 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 9 $6,591.00 $11,148.00 $11,148.00 1.7×
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 1 $4,289.65 $4,289.65 $4,289.65 1.0×
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 7 $3,638.49 $3,638.49 $3,638.49 1.0×
Bad Axe, MI single city 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Berlin, WI single city 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1 $575.00 $575.00 $575.00 1.0×
Barre, VT 1 $777.38 $777.38 $777.38 1.0×
Bay City, MI 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Bellingham, WA 1 $9,040.85 $9,040.85 $9,040.85 1.0×
Bend, OR 4 $5,750.13 $5,750.13 $5,750.13 1.0×
Bennington, VT 1 $486.15 $486.15 $486.15 1.0×
Birmingham, AL 1 $2,874.05 $2,874.05 $2,874.05 1.0×
Bluefield, WV-VA 1 $3,967.00 $3,967.00 $3,967.00 1.0×
Boise City, ID 4 $7,224.00 $8,788.15 $8,896.84 1.2×
Boulder, CO 1 $8,292.12 $8,292.12 $8,292.12 1.0×
Bozeman, MT 1 $3,320.80 $3,320.80 $3,320.80 1.0×
Brattleboro, VT 1 $433.44 $433.44 $433.44 1.0×
Brenham, TX 1 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 4 $769.82 $769.82 $7,053.00 9.2×
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1 $1,262.00 $1,262.00 $1,262.00 1.0×
Caro, MI single city 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Cedar Rapids, IA single city 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Centerville, IA single city 1 $1,092.00 $1,092.00 $1,092.00 1.0×
Coudersport, PA single city 1 $559.20 $559.20 $559.20 1.0×
Canton-Massillon, OH 1 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 1.0×
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 5 $4,188.64 $4,197.14 $4,197.14 1.0×
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 1 $759.00 $759.00 $759.00 1.0×
Cedar Rapids, IA 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Charleston, WV 1 $5,414.00 $5,414.00 $5,414.00 1.0×
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 2 $13,053.30 $13,488.87 $13,924.43 1.1×
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3 $6,041.00 $6,041.00 $6,041.00 1.0×
Chattanooga, TN-GA 1 $342.67 $342.67 $342.67 1.0×
Cheyenne, WY 1 $867.71 $867.71 $867.71 1.0×
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 8 $3,535.00 $14,642.66 $24,770.23 7.0×
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 6 $1,017.45 $13,187.68 $17,751.06 17.4×
Cleveland, OH 11 $942.87 $3,600.75 $7,721.76 8.2×
Clinton, IA 1 $17,058.85 $17,058.85 $17,058.85 1.0×
College Station-Bryan, TX 1 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
Columbus, OH 2 $1,374.30 $7,360.88 $13,347.46 9.7×
Corning, NY 1 $342.87 $342.87 $342.87 1.0×
Corvallis, OR 1 $858.40 $858.40 $858.40 1.0×
Decorah, IA single city 1 $1,614.90 $1,614.90 $1,614.90 1.0×
Dillon, MT single city 1 $736.25 $736.25 $736.25 1.0×
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5 $921.00 $4,311.00 $20,753.32 22.5×
Danville, VA 1 $10,791.60 $10,791.60 $10,791.60 1.0×
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 2 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 1 $3,738.25 $3,738.25 $3,738.25 1.0×
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 4 $8,292.12 $8,292.12 $8,292.12 1.0×
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 2 $746.40 $8,513.64 $16,280.87 21.8×
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 8 $389.64 $624.57 $859.50 2.2×
Dubuque, IA 2 $746.40 $7,814.78 $14,883.15 19.9×
Duluth, MN-WI 2 $589.05 $971.26 $1,353.47 2.3×
Eagle River, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
East Amery, WI single city 1 $541.73 $541.73 $541.73 1.0×
Eau Claire, WI 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 2 $3,231.20 $9,163.30 $15,095.40 4.7×
Eugene-Springfield, OR 1 $10,611.25 $10,611.25 $10,611.25 1.0×
Evansville, IN 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 3 $345.20 $4,754.55 $5,578.16 16.2×
Flint, MI 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Fond du Lac, WI 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Fort Dodge, IA 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Fort Smith, AR-OK 1 $3,556.70 $3,556.70 $3,556.70 1.0×
Fort Wayne, IN 2 $350.70 $5,314.10 $10,277.50 29.3×
Fremont, NE 1 $2,026.12 $2,026.12 $2,026.12 1.0×
Fresno, CA 1 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Grinnell, IA single city 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Grand Junction, CO 1 $6,102.88 $6,102.88 $6,102.88 1.0×
Great Falls, MT 1 $22,568.00 $22,568.00 $22,568.00 1.0×
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 1 $12,339.43 $12,339.43 $12,339.43 1.0×
Hartford, CT single city 1 $14,293.58 $14,293.58 $14,293.58 1.0×
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 1 $5,986.00 $5,986.00 $5,986.00 1.0×
Hailey, ID 1 $8,795.00 $8,795.00 $8,795.00 1.0×
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 3 $5,036.01 $6,633.88 $6,983.80 1.4×
Henderson, KY 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 1 $2,807.40 $2,807.40 $2,807.40 1.0×
Hood River, OR 1 $890.25 $890.25 $890.25 1.0×
Houghton, MI 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1 $3,277.28 $3,277.28 $3,277.28 1.0×
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 1 $9,275.98 $9,275.98 $9,275.98 1.0×
Huntsville, AL 1 $7,265.60 $7,265.60 $7,265.60 1.0×
Iron River, MI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Ironwood, MI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 2 $715.16 $13,926.36 $27,137.55 37.9×
Jackson, MI 1 $366.10 $366.10 $366.10 1.0×
Jackson, MS 1 $12,483.76 $12,483.76 $12,483.76 1.0×
Jasper, IN 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Joplin, MO-KS 1 $6,832.88 $6,832.88 $6,832.88 1.0×
Kankakee, IL 1 $4,091.49 $4,091.49 $4,091.49 1.0×
Kansas City, MO-KS 3 $432.00 $432.00 $3,304.00 7.6×
Killeen-Temple, TX 3 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
Lancaster, PA 1 $6,111.09 $6,111.09 $6,111.09 1.0×
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 1 $3,763.50 $3,763.50 $3,763.50 1.0×
Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT 1 $1,343.34 $1,343.34 $1,343.34 1.0×
Lima, OH 2 $3,433.50 $11,754.63 $20,075.76 5.8×
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 2 $1,432.20 $2,148.93 $2,865.66 2.0×
Longview-Kelso, WA 1 $5,931.25 $5,931.25 $5,931.25 1.0×
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 12 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 $4,243.00 2.9×
Marble Falls, TX single city 1 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
McCall, ID single city 1 $8,795.00 $8,795.00 $8,795.00 1.0×
Medford, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Merrill, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Middlebury, VT single city 1 $692.00 $692.00 $692.00 1.0×
Millersburg, OH single city 1 $5,172.00 $5,172.00 $5,172.00 1.0×
Morganfield, KY single city 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Madison, WI 2 $1,375.20 $1,496.20 $1,617.20 1.2×
Marion-Herrin, IL 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Marshalltown, IA 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 6 $4,861.06 $4,861.06 $4,886.22 1.0×
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2 $1,133.60 $8,935.16 $16,736.72 14.8×
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 1 $14,509.75 $14,509.75 $14,509.75 1.0×
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 7 $715.36 $774.35 $2,424.76 3.4×
Modesto, CA 1 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Morgantown, WV 1 $4,699.00 $4,699.00 $4,699.00 1.0×
Mount Pleasant, MI 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Mount Vernon, IL 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Muscatine, IA 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
New London, WI single city 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Newport, VT single city 1 $568.00 $568.00 $568.00 1.0×
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 1 $551.34 $551.34 $551.34 1.0×
New Philadelphia-Dover, OH 1 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 1.0×
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 28 $358.46 $3,705.99 $22,732.05 63.4×
Newport, OR 2 $858.40 $858.40 $858.40 1.0×
Olla, LA single city 1 $1,742.40 $1,742.40 $1,742.40 1.0×
Ontario, CA single city 1 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 1.0×
Ocala, FL 1 $22,360.99 $22,360.99 $22,360.99 1.0×
Ocean Pines, MD 1 $960.00 $960.00 $960.00 1.0×
Oklahoma City, OK 1 $4,756.95 $4,756.95 $4,756.95 1.0×
Omaha, NE-IA 3 $623.16 $623.16 $1,590.84 2.6×
Ontario, OR-ID 1 $945.94 $945.94 $945.94 1.0×
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1 $10,326.00 $10,326.00 $10,326.00 1.0×
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 2 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Perryville, MO single city 2 $572.25 $2,299.51 $4,026.76 7.0×
Petersburg, WV single city 1 $488.80 $488.80 $488.80 1.0×
Polson, MT single city 1 $446.40 $446.40 $446.40 1.0×
Princeton, IN single city 1 $429.45 $429.45 $429.45 1.0×
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 1 $3,688.50 $3,688.50 $3,688.50 1.0×
Peru, IN 1 $584.50 $584.50 $584.50 1.0×
Petoskey, MI 1 $859.50 $859.50 $859.50 1.0×
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2 $18,729.00 $20,035.66 $21,342.31 1.1×
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1 $4,068.55 $4,068.55 $4,068.55 1.0×
Pittsburg, KS 1 $12,129.62 $12,129.62 $12,129.62 1.0×
Pittsburgh, PA 1 $1,417.00 $1,417.00 $1,417.00 1.0×
Plattsburgh, NY 1 $742.00 $742.00 $742.00 1.0×
Port St. Lucie, FL 1 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 $1,133.60 1.0×
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 6 $563.55 $563.55 $8,663.64 15.4×
Rhinelander, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Richmond, CA single city 1 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Rapid City, SD 1 $2,246.12 $2,246.12 $2,246.12 1.0×
Reading, PA 1 $5,482.91 $5,482.91 $5,482.91 1.0×
Reno, NV 2 $1,384.00 $2,495.00 $3,606.00 2.6×
Richmond, VA 3 $11,981.31 $12,106.66 $14,098.67 1.2×
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 3 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 1.0×
Rochester, NY 2 $3,935.40 $3,935.40 $3,935.40 1.0×
St. Johnsbury, VT single city 1 $540.00 $540.00 $540.00 1.0×
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 3 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Salem, OR 2 $563.55 $648.28 $733.00 1.3×
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 4 $1,456.00 $1,456.00 $16,939.41 11.6×
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 9 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 1 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2 $3,306.33 $17,733.02 $32,159.70 9.7×
Shawano, WI 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Sheridan, WY 1 $1,588.00 $1,588.00 $1,588.00 1.0×
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 1 $13,769.80 $13,769.80 $13,769.80 1.0×
Springfield, MA 1 $5,820.61 $5,820.61 $5,820.61 1.0×
Springfield, MO 2 $8,245.33 $8,245.33 $8,245.33 1.0×
St. Louis, MO-IL 4 $5,799.79 $7,297.66 $10,264.87 1.8×
Stevens Point-Plover, WI 2 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Stockton-Lodi, CA 1 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 1.0×
Storm Lake, IA 1 $733.60 $733.60 $733.60 1.0×
Syracuse, NY 1 $8,243.05 $8,243.05 $8,243.05 1.0×
Temple, TX single city 1 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
Tomahawk, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Torrington, CT single city 1 $1,760.00 $1,760.00 $1,760.00 1.0×
Two Harbors, MN single city 1 $2,047.62 $2,047.62 $2,047.62 1.0×
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1 $33,427.05 $33,427.05 $33,427.05 1.0×
Toledo, OH 2 $753.00 $9,629.32 $18,505.63 24.6×
Truckee-Grass Valley, CA 1 $1,384.00 $1,384.00 $1,384.00 1.0×
Twin Falls, ID 1 $7,224.00 $7,224.00 $7,224.00 1.0×
Vallejo, CA 3 $895.09 $10,080.00 $10,080.00 11.3×
Waterbury, CT single city 1 $11,041.62 $11,041.62 $11,041.62 1.0×
Waupaca, WI single city 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Wild Rose, WI single city 1 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 $1,989.51 1.0×
Woodruff, WI single city 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Waco, TX 1 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 $3,780.25 1.0×
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 1 $746.40 $746.40 $746.40 1.0×
Wausau, WI 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Wheeling, WV-OH 2 $3,426.00 $3,788.34 $4,150.67 1.2×
Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield, WI 1 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 $1,617.20 1.0×
Worcester, MA 2 $13,820.83 $14,473.96 $15,127.08 1.1×
Youngstown-Warren, OH 2 $11,943.11 $12,169.95 $12,396.79 1.0×

Common questions

Which code applies to a younger child?

The same surgery in a child under 12 is billed as 42820.

Will I go home the same day?

Most patients go home the same day, but some stay overnight for observation, for example because of sleep apnea.

Other tonsillectomy prices

Median hospital cash price, one per hospital.