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PricedCare

Tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) in Los Angeles, CA costs $427 to $7,576. Here's every hospital's price.

8 hospitals in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, 8 hospitals list a cash price for tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) (CPT 42820). The lowest is $427 at Providence St. Joseph Hospital, the median is $3,680 and the highest is $7,576 at San Dimas Community Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 18 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Los Angeles, CA median of $3,680 is 39% below the national median of $6,048 across 147 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

26 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $172 to $37,308. 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 July 2024 and September 2026. 73 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.

$427
lowest cash price in Los Angeles, CA
Providence St. Joseph Hospital · 29 mi
$3,252 below the median
$3,680
median cash price
8 hospitals
18×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
8/100
hospitals with a cash price
73 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Providence St. Joseph Hospital

Orange · 29 mi · File Apr 2026

$427
list $534 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Los Angeles · 12 mi · File Nov 2025

$937
list $1,441 · lowest of 37 lines
3
Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital

Marina Del Rey · 17 mi · File Nov 2025

$1,807
list $2,780 · lowest of 2 lines
4
L A Downtown Medical Center

Los Angeles · 5 mi · Older file Jul 2024

$3,680
list $3,680
5
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles

Los Angeles · 6 mi · File Apr 2026

$4,321
list $8,310 · lowest of 4 lines
6
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West La

Los Angeles · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$4,321
list $8,310 · lowest of 4 lines
7
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Anaheim

Anaheim · 26 mi · File Apr 2026

$4,321
list $8,310 · lowest of 4 lines
8
San Dimas Community Hospital

San Dimas · 20 mi · File Sep 2026

$7,576
list $13,896
9
Providence Little Co of Mary Med Ctr San Pedro

San Pedro · 27 mi · File Apr 2026

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10
Community Hospital of Huntington Park

Huntington Park · 9 mi · File Feb 2026

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11
Santa Monica - UCLA Med Ctr & Orthopaedic Hospital

Santa Monica · 18 mi · File Mar 2026

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12
Providence St. Jude Medical Center

Fullerton · 21 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 Los Angeles, CA 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