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CPT code 65770: Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical placement of an artificial corneal device, often for severe corneal disease when donor-tissue transplantation is unsuitable or has failed.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities162 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,182.39 for 65770 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 65770

Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
19.25
Total RVUs
35.40
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,182.39

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 65770 →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 65770 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 65770 covers

An ophthalmic surgeon places an artificial optical device in the cornea to restore a usable visual pathway when severe corneal damage prevents vision. This approach may be considered for patients with advanced corneal disease, including cases in which prior corneal grafts have failed or a conventional donor-tissue graft is not a suitable option. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room rather than an office setting.

Report the service when the operative record supports implantation of a keratoprosthesis, not a donor-cornea transplant or a procedure limited to the ocular surface. The code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 65770 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

65770 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,099.17
AlaskaUnavailable$1,512.67
ArizonaUnavailable$1,159.90
ArkansasUnavailable$1,088.75
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,202.41
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,206.17
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,221.51
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,240.44
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,134.81
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,171.90

65770 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
65770 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 65770 rate is calculated

Each of 65770’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 · 65770

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work19.25

19.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense14.62

14.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.53

1.53 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

35.4000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,182.39

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 65770

65770 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 65770

Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant

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)0Not permitted.
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 · 65770

Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant

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

65770 without 50 · national facility

$1,182.39

Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant

65770-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,773.59

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

65770 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 65770

    Keratoprosthesis, artificial corneal implant19.25 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65710

    Corneal transplant, lamellar technique14.09 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65730

    Corneal transplant, penetrating graft15.94 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65755

    Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eye16.37 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65756

    Corneal transplant, endothelial keratoplasty16.42 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

65710Corneal transplantLamellar technique
Use 65770 for an artificial corneal device. Code 65710 represents a donor-tissue corneal transplant; choose based on what the surgeon implanted.
65730Corneal transplantPenetrating graft
Code 65730 is a corneal transplant using donor tissue. Code 65770 is appropriate when the documented operation implants a keratoprosthesis.
65755Corneal transplantPenetrating, pseudophakic eye
Both address corneal replacement, but 65755 is a donor-tissue transplant code and 65770 represents an artificial corneal device.
65756Corneal transplantEndothelial keratoplasty
Code 65756 describes endothelial keratoplasty using donor tissue. Use 65770 when the operative service is implantation of an artificial corneal device.

Codes related to 65770

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

Codes related to 65770
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
65710Corneal transplant, lamellar techniqueCorneal tissue transplantation may be used instead of an artificial device when appropriate.No office rate
65730Corneal transplant, penetrating graftA donor-cornea transplant is a tissue-graft approach rather than prosthesis implantation.No office rate
65750Corneal transplant, penetrating, aphakic eyeSelect the tissue-transplant code when the operation uses donor cornea rather than a prosthesis.No office rate
65755Corneal transplant, penetrating, pseudophakic eyeThis is another donor-cornea transplant option, distinguished by its applicable technique and circumstances.No office rate

65770 billing questions

How is this different from a corneal transplant code?

This code represents implantation of an artificial corneal device. Corneal transplant codes represent procedures using donor corneal tissue, with the applicable code selected according to the transplant technique and clinical details.

Are related postoperative visits separately reported?

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

How is bilateral surgery reported?

Report modifier 50 for bilateral surgery. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid for this procedure. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

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

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should identify implantation of an artificial corneal device and document the procedure performed. A record describing only a donor-tissue graft or ocular-surface treatment does not establish this service.

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 65770PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,336 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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