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PricedCare

Tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) in Des Moines, IA costs $715 to $11,382. Here's every hospital's price.

4 hospitals in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area publish a cash price for tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) (CPT 42820). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, 4 hospitals list a cash price for tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) (CPT 42820). The lowest is $715 at Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi, the median is $857 and the highest is $11,382 at Mercyone Newton Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 16 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Des Moines, IA median of $857 is 80% below the national median of $4,321 across 447 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

4 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $83 to $15,482. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between January 2026 and September 2026. 3 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$715
lowest cash price in Des Moines, IA
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi · 7 mi
$142 below the median
$857
median cash price
4 hospitals
16×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
4/7
hospitals with a cash price
3 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Jan 2026

$715
list $894 · lowest of 8 lines
2
Broadlawns Medical Center

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Sep 2026

$857
list $857 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,077
list $1,077 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Mercyone Newton Medical Center

Newton · 38 mi · File Mar 2026

$11,382
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 Des Moines, IA 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