Tonsil Removal Cost

• For those not covered by health insurance, a tonsillectomy -- with or without an adenoidectomy -- typically costs from $4,153 to $6,381, with an average cost of $5,442, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. For example, a survey by the Minnesota Council of Health Plans found the average cost was $4,875 in that state.
• Most tonsillectomies are covered by health insurance if ordered by a doctor. For example, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, any necessary surgery would be covered, unless it is experimental or covered in a specific exclu

• The doctor will conduct a pre-surgery office visit.
• On the day of surgery, the patient is admitted to the hospital, placed under anesthesia and tonsil tissue is surgically removed.
• Post-surgical follow-up visits for one month usually are included.

• Antibiotics and pain medications usually are prescribed after a tonsillectomy, according to Texas Pediatric Surgical Associates. A standard prescription copay would apply.

• According to a Dutch study reported on MedPageToday.com, watchful waiting can be a more cost-effective solution to tonsil problems in some children.

• To find a doctor, get a referral from a pediatrician or family physician. Check with the American Board of Otolaryngology to verify that a doctor you are considering is a board-certified head and neck surgeon.
• While tonsillectomies are the most common surgery performed on children in the United States, they are less common than in the past. Tonsils are part of the immune system, which is a consideration when considering a tonsillectomy. The American Academy of Otolaryngology has an overview on tonsils.
• According to the National Institutes of Health, a tonsillectomy should be considered only when: there are seven or more episodes of tonsillitis in a year or five or more per year over two-years; enlarged tonsils that interfere with breathing; an abscess in the tonsils or extremely asymmetric tonsils.

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