Prices at 36 hospitals in Tennessee, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,180 — 34% above the US median ($3,874), roughly 20.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highpoint Health-Sumner With Ascension Saint Thoma | Gallatin, TN | $4,389 | $4,285 | ★ 3/5 | 145 min | 15.9% |
| Methodist Hospitals of Memphis | Memphis, TN | $4,597 | $2,970 | ★ 3/5 | 237 min | 15.3% |
| Cookeville Regional Medical Center | Cookeville, TN | $5,763 | $4,880 | ★ 2/5 | 249 min | 15.7% |
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery | Nashville, TN | $5,773 | $2,651 | — | — | 14.0% |
| Starr Regional Medical Center Athens | Athens, TN | $8,561 | $2,590 | ★ 3/5 | 145 min | 15.0% |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $5,180 — about 20.5× the Medicare rate ($252). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($504).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $18,838 list price could save about $13,658 (73%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
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Tonsillectomy cost in other states
All Tonsillectomy prices (national) → · All hospitals in Tennessee →