How much does an Ear tube placement cost?

The typical insurer-negotiated rate for an Ear tube placement (tympanostomy) is about $1,956, with most falling between $643 and $3,261, based on published rates from 2,149 U.S. hospitals. What you actually pay depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance.

Cash or self-pay prices for an Ear tube placement (tympanostomy) run around $1,841. Uninsured patients are often billed the much higher hospital "list" charge first (about $3,416), so it's worth asking for the cash or self-pay rate and negotiating.

Hospital "list" (chargemaster) prices for an Ear tube placement (tympanostomy) run about $3,416 — roughly 1.7× the $1,956 insurers actually pay. The list price is a starting point almost no one pays; the negotiated and cash rates are the realistic benchmark.

Yes. If you were charged well above the typical negotiated rate (about $1,956), that gap is negotiable. Upfronte audits your bill against real hospital pricing data and can negotiate it down on your behalf — no savings, no fee.