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PricedCare

Tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) in San Antonio, TX costs $1,897 to $10,407. Here's every hospital's price.

3 hospitals in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area, 3 hospitals list a cash price for tonsils and adenoids removal (under age 12) (CPT 42820). The lowest is $1,897 at South Texas Spine and Surgical Hospital, the median is $4,710 and the highest is $10,407 at Legent Orthopedic + Spine. The most expensive hospital lists 5.5 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Antonio, TX median of $4,710 is 22% below the national median of $6,048 across 147 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

3 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $265 to $10,284. 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 February 2026 and May 2026. 16 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.

$1,897
lowest cash price in San Antonio, TX
South Texas Spine and Surgical Hospital · 15 mi
$2,813 below the median
$4,710
median cash price
3 hospitals
5.5×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
3/19
hospitals with a cash price
16 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
South Texas Spine and Surgical Hospital

San Antonio · 15 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,897
list $1,897
2
Guadalupe Regional Medical Center

Seguin · 41 mi · File May 2026

$4,710
list $9,420
3
Legent Orthopedic + Spine

San Antonio · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$10,407
list $44,350 · lowest of 2 lines
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 San Antonio, TX 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