CPT code 65755: Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eye2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports penetrating corneal transplantation in a pseudophakic eye, replacing diseased full-thickness corneal tissue with donor tissue.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 65755 in Texas.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 65755 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon performs penetrating keratoplasty to replace diseased or damaged full-thickness corneal tissue with donor cornea. The procedure may be used for problems such as corneal scarring, opacity, dystrophy, or a failed prior graft. Code 65755 identifies the penetrating transplant in a pseudophakic eye, where an intraocular lens is already present. These operations are generally performed in a surgical facility, though CMS records services in both office and facility settings.
Select the code from the operative report’s description of the transplant and the eye’s lens status; documentation should establish the full-thickness transplant and pseudophakia. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral surgery, paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 65755 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $1,088.44 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $1,019.03 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $1,055.30 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $1,061.63 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $1,057.46 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $1,058.35 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $1,082.33 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $1,036.39 |
How the 65755 rate is calculated
Each of 65755’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 65755
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.37
16.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.20
14.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.31
1.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
31.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,064.82
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65755
65755 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65755
Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eye
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 65755
Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eye
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
65755 without 50 · national facility
$1,064.82
Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eye
65755-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,597.23
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
65755 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 65756Corneal transplantEndothelial keratoplasty
- 65756 represents an endothelial transplant. Use 65755 for penetrating keratoplasty when its operative circumstances are documented.
- 65757Corneal graft preparationEndothelial allograft
- 65757 reports preparation of donor tissue for endothelial keratoplasty, not transplantation of a penetrating corneal graft.
- 65750Corneal transplantPenetrating, aphakic eye
- Both are penetrating keratoplasty family codes. Compare the code descriptors and operative report, including the documented circumstances of the eye and procedure.
65755 billing questions
How is 65755 distinguished from other penetrating keratoplasty codes?
Confirm that the operation is a penetrating corneal transplant and that the operative documentation supports the circumstances specified for 65755, including pseudophakia. Compare the complete operative details with the descriptors for the other codes in the 65710–65750 family.
Is an endothelial keratoplasty reported with 65755?
No. Code 65755 represents a penetrating transplant; 65756 describes an endothelial transplant, which replaces a different portion of the cornea.
Does the transplant include routine postoperative visits?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided.
Can 65755 be reported with another procedure performed in the same session?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others. The operative record should support each reported procedure.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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