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CPT code 65756: Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports transplantation of donor corneal endothelial tissue to treat endothelial dysfunction while retaining the recipient cornea’s anterior layers.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities22.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $991.67 for 65756 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 65756

Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
16.42
Total RVUs
29.69
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$991.67

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 65756 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 65756 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 65756 covers

An ophthalmic surgeon uses this code for endothelial keratoplasty, replacing the diseased inner corneal layer with donor tissue. Common clinical settings include endothelial failure associated with Fuchs dystrophy or pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Techniques such as DSAEK and DMEK are examples of endothelial graft procedures. The service is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center, with related postoperative care managed by the surgeon.

The operative report should establish that the transplanted tissue is an endothelial graft and identify the treated eye and surgical technique. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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 65756 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

65756 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$922.75
AlaskaUnavailable$1,272.21
ArizonaUnavailable$972.99
ArkansasUnavailable$914.13
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,008.50
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,010.95
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,023.33
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,039.98
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$952.61
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$982.84

65756 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
65756 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 65756 rate is calculated

Each of 65756’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 · 65756

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work16.42

16.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.96

11.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.31

1.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

29.6900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$991.67

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 65756

65756 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 65756

Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.70/0.20Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 65756

Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

65756 without 50 · national facility

$991.67

Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty

65756-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,487.51

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).

When to use modifier 50

65756 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 65756

    Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty16.42 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65710

    Corneal transplant, lamellar technique14.09 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65730

    Corneal transplant, penetrating graft15.94 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65757

    Corneal graft preparation, endothelial allograft0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

65710Corneal transplantLamellar technique
Use 65710 for a lamellar graft involving a different corneal layer. Use 65756 when the transplanted tissue is an endothelial graft.
65730Corneal transplantPenetrating graft
Use 65730 for a penetrating, full-thickness transplant. This code describes endothelial keratoplasty rather than replacement of the full corneal thickness.
65757Corneal graft preparationEndothelial allograft
65757 represents preparation of donor endothelial tissue before transplantation; 65756 represents the transplant procedure itself.

Codes related to 65756

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 65756
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
65757Corneal graft preparation, endothelial allograftRepresents preparation of donor endothelial tissue for a transplant.No office rate
Used instead
65710Corneal transplant, lamellar techniqueA lamellar corneal graft involving a different corneal layer.No office rate
65730Corneal transplant, penetrating graftA full-thickness corneal transplant rather than an endothelial graft.No office rate
65750Corneal transplant, penetrating, aphakic eyeA penetrating transplant for an aphakic eye.No office rate
65755Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eyeA penetrating transplant for a pseudophakic eye.No office rate

65756 billing questions

How is this different from a penetrating corneal transplant?

This code is for replacing the endothelial layer with donor tissue. A penetrating transplant replaces the full thickness of the cornea.

Can donor tissue preparation be reported separately?

CPT 65757 describes preparation of donor endothelial tissue before transplantation. Report it when that preparation service is performed and documented with the graft procedure.

Does the global period include routine postoperative visits?

Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How is a bilateral transplant reported under the CMS rule?

For bilateral surgery, CMS specifies modifier 50 and payment at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures subject to the multiple procedure reduction are paid at 50%.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 65756PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,331 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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