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PricedCare

Tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) in Boston, MA-NH: hospital prices

2 hospitals in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area price CPT 42820 in their files, but fewer than three list a cash price, so we show the rows without a ranking.

2 hospitals in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area list tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) (CPT 42820) in its price file, but only as a list price or negotiated insurer rates, not as a cash price. Hospitals must publish a discounted cash price for every shoppable service; where it is missing you can still ask for one by phone.

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital

Brockton · 30 mi · File Jan 2026

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2
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington

Burlington · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

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1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 42820. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 42820, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12)

CPT 42820 is removal of the tonsils and adenoids in a child under 12, done for repeated throat infections or, more often today, for sleep-disordered breathing. It is an outpatient operation under general anesthesia, about 30 to 45 minutes, with one to two weeks of sore throat afterward.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the facility fee for the operating room, anesthesia equipment, nursing, supplies and recovery. The ENT surgeon and the anesthesiologist bill separately. Children with sleep apnea or under three are sometimes kept overnight, which adds an observation charge.

Why prices vary

Children's hospitals and academic centers list the highest prices for this operation; community hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers list lower. The spread within a metro area is commonly three to five times for the facility fee alone.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 42820, and what do surgeon and anesthesia add?
  • Will my child need to stay overnight, and what does that cost?
  • Can it be done at an ambulatory surgery center?

Hospitals in Boston, MA-NH without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask