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Reviewed by John Caruso, FSA, MAAA • Data last updated

Ear Tube Surgery Cost in Texas (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a ear tube surgery cost in Texas?

The same ear tube surgery in Texas might cost you $420 at one facility and $551 at another - the building you walk into drives the difference. The median cash price across 285 reporting hospitals is $420. These figures come straight from hospital price transparency files published under federal law. The sections below break this down by coverage and by insurer.

Three low-priced facilities in Texas, from hospital price files

  • METHODIST SPECIALTY AND TRANSPLANT · San Antonio, TX $365
  • METHODIST HOSPITAL ATASCOSA · Jourdanton, TX $365
  • METROPOLITAN METHODIST · San Antonio, TX $365

All 285 facilities are listed below, free.

Where ear tube surgery costs vary in Texas

Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby ambulatory surgery centers and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.

Hospital (below avg) Hospital (above avg) Click a pin for details.

26+ people checked prices near them this month.

What you pay for a ear tube surgery depends on where you go and what is billed separately. Most patients find out after.

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Cheapest Ear Tube Surgery Providers in Texas

Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.

# Facility City Price vs median ($420)
1 METHODIST SPECIALTY AND TRANSPLANT San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below
2 METHODIST HOSPITAL ATASCOSA Jourdanton, TX $365 $55 below
3 METROPOLITAN METHODIST San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below
4 METHODIST HOSPITAL STONE OAK San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below
5 NORTHEAST METHODIST San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below
6 METHODIST HOSPITAL Helotes, TX $365 $55 below
7 METHODIST TEXSAN HOSPITAL San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below
8 METHODIST HOSPITAL LANDMARK San Antonio, TX $365 $55 below

Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Before you book: three questions that change the price

  1. Is this the self-pay price, and does it include the doctor, anesthesia and any lab or pathology? Those are often billed separately.
  2. Can you give me the price in writing, with the billing codes it covers?
  3. What happens to the price if something extra is needed during the procedure?

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost →  ·  When the bills arrive, we check them for errors →

Quick take

  • METHODIST SPECIALTY AND TRANSPLANT is the lowest-cost option at $365 - $55 below the median posted price ($420), just by choosing where you go.
  • Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met - the median cash price here is $420, and it's often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied.
  • Ask whether this procedure can be done at a freestanding ambulatory surgical center - they're typically 30-60% cheaper than a hospital for identical care, and most aren't in this hospital-only dataset.
Ear tube surgery prices by coverage in Texas, October 2026
CoverageHospitals with a rateTypical rangeMedian
Medicare (national rate)—$1,585 to $1,585$1,585
With insurance (commercial, average)248$1,503 to $3,348$2,401
Without insurance (cash price)284$403 to $1,668$420
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas214$995 to $3,211$2,139
Aetna173$531 to $7,050$2,416
Cigna162$1,954 to $7,679$4,465
UnitedHealthcare122$1,410 to $3,863$2,753

Rates are negotiated allowed amounts and cash prices from hospital price-transparency files (October 2026), shown at each hospital’s lowest-priced typical billing code for this procedure. Facility fees only. The typical range is the middle 80% of hospitals, not a quote for your visit.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with Medicare in Texas?

Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for ear tube surgery is about $1,585 to $1,585 (typically near $1,585). After the $257 Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, about $317 on a $1,585 payment, with no out-of-pocket cap unless you have supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Doctor, anesthesia and pathology fees are billed separately. Medicare rates are national CMS amounts, adjusted slightly by local wage levels.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with insurance in Texas?

Across 248 Texas hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for ear tube surgery average $1,503 to $3,348 per hospital, with a median near $2,401. That is the amount your plan and you pay the hospital together; you owe your deductible, then coinsurance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum.

Each hospital’s figure is the average of the commercial insurers it lists. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rates are excluded.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost without insurance in Texas?

Cash (self-pay) prices for ear tube surgery at 284 Texas hospitals range from $403 to $1,668, with a median of $420. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for any financial-assistance discount before you book; both can be lower than the posted price.

Cash prices are the hospital’s published discounted rate for patients paying without insurance.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas negotiated rates for ear tube surgery at 214 Texas hospitals range from $995 to $3,211, with a median near $2,139. Your own cost depends on your plan’s deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the hospital is in your network.

Includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem plans listed by each hospital.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with Aetna in Texas?

Aetna negotiated rates for ear tube surgery at 173 Texas hospitals range from $531 to $7,050, with a median near $2,416. If a hospital is out of network for your Aetna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with Cigna in Texas?

Cigna negotiated rates for ear tube surgery at 162 Texas hospitals range from $1,954 to $7,679, with a median near $4,465. If a hospital is out of network for your Cigna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an ear tube surgery cost with UnitedHealthcare in Texas?

UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for ear tube surgery at 122 Texas hospitals range from $1,410 to $3,863, with a median near $2,753. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How where you go changes what you pay for ear tube surgery

The same ear tube surgery bundles different services depending on the setting - facility fee, surgeon fee, and anesthesia each arrive as separate bills. Estimated ranges below reflect the typical full bundled cost, including all expected charges.

Hospital Outpatient
$267–$19,186
  • Facility fee $27–$18,546
  • Professional fee $240–$640

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Hospital Inpatient
$540–$19,186
  • Facility fee $300–$18,546
  • Professional fee $240–$640

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Texas is the largest commercial hospital market in the country by revenue. HCA, Tenet, and Community Health Systems are significant for-profit players across the state. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio have genuine multi-system competition that creates real price variation. Rural Texas - particularly West Texas and the Panhandle - has extensive critical access hospital coverage where pricing differs substantially from urban PPS hospitals.

Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go → Managing more than one bill? See the family tracker →

Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage

A small number of hospitals (28) report prices above $2,000, including Palacios Community Medical Center at $4,985, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $420 versus $600 inpatient (about 1.4× more), so where a procedure happens often matters more than which hospital you pick.

On top of the facility price, your actual bill depends on your deductible, your out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved - not just the facility - is in-network.

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met ~$420
Deductible met - 20% coinsurance ~$84
Out-of-network provider $924+

Frequently asked questions: ear tube surgery costs in Texas

How much does an ear tube surgery cost in Texas?

The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $420, with most facilities between $365 and $442 (based on 285 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Posted cash prices at the middle 80% of Texas hospitals run $403–$1,668; outlier facilities above and below that range are left out. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.

Where is the cheapest place to get an ear tube surgery in Texas?

Based on declared prices, the lowest posted price in our Texas data is METHODIST SPECIALTY AND TRANSPLANT in San Antonio at about $365. By metro, Corpus Christi has the lowest median ($407). Freestanding ambulatory surgery centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.

Why is an ear tube surgery so much cheaper at some Texas hospitals?

Typical prices vary about 1.2× (25th to 70th percentile of negotiated rates) because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In Texas, the median cash (self-pay) price is $420 versus a median negotiated rate of $2,401 - cash is the lower number at many hospitals. Asking for the cash price as well as your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.

How much will I actually pay out of pocket for an ear tube surgery in Texas?

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.

Before you book

Other procedures in Texas

Ear Tube Surgery, elsewhere

CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).

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About the Author

John Caruso, FSA, MAAA

Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.

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Published October 29, 2026 · Updated October 29, 2026

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