CPT code 65850: Trabeculotomy, external approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Salinas, CA

Reports glaucoma surgery that opens the trabecular drainage pathway through an external approach to improve aqueous outflow from the eye.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality285 Medicare services in 2024

In Salinas, CA, Medicare pays $761.84 for 65850 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$761.84Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 65850 nationwide

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

We’ll open 65850 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Salinas, CA
  2. What 65850 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 65850 covers

An ophthalmologist performs an ab externo trabeculotomy by approaching the drainage angle from outside the eye and opening the trabecular meshwork to improve aqueous humor outflow. The procedure is used for glaucoma, including congenital or developmental glaucoma, and is performed in a surgical setting. It differs from an internal angle incision because the surgeon reaches the trabecular meshwork through an external approach.

Report 65850 when the operative documentation supports this external approach and the trabecular incision. Record the treated eye and any other procedures performed during the session. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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.

How Salinas, CA compares for 65850

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 65850 runs from $655.63 in Arkansas to $906.84 in Alaska. Salinas, CA pays $761.84. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

65850 in Salinas, CA vs other payment areas
  1. Salinas, CA · this page$761.84
  2. Bakersfield, CA · California$739.78−$22.06
  3. Chico, CA · California$736.89−$24.95
  4. El Centro, CA · California$737.04−$24.80
  5. Fresno, CA · California$736.89−$24.95
  6. Hanford, CA · California$736.89−$24.95
  7. Los Angeles, CA · California$776.84+$15.00

Other areas in California first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

65850 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Madera, CACalifornia—$736.89
Merced, CACalifornia—$736.89
Modesto, CACalifornia—$736.89
Napa, CACalifornia—$822.76
Oxnard, CACalifornia—$770.50
Redding, CACalifornia—$736.89
Rest of CaliforniaCalifornia—$736.89
Riverside, CACalifornia—$746.58

65850 rates by state

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

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
65850 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

See 65850 in every payment locality

How the 65850 rate is calculated

Each of 65850’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 · 65850

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work11.11

11.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.39

9.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.88

0.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

21.3800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$714.11

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

The exact Salinas, CA inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

7,350

Code
65850
Physician work
11.11
Practice expense
9.39
Malpractice
0.88

GPCI2026.csv

22

Locality
Salinas, CA
Physician work
1.031
Practice expense
1.159
Malpractice
0.536
Facility calculation for 65850 in Salinas, CA
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work11.11× 1.03111.4544
Practice expense9.39× 1.15910.8830
Malpractice0.88× 0.5360.4717
Total RVUs22.8091
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Salinas, CA$761.84

Facility: (11.11 × 1.031 + 9.39 × 1.159 + 0.88 × 0.536) × $33.4009 = $761.84

Open 65850 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 65850

65850 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 65850

Trabeculotomy, external approach

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
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 · 65850

Trabeculotomy, external approach

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

65850 without 50 · national facility

$714.11

Trabeculotomy, external approach

65850-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,071.17

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

How 65850 has changed in Salinas, CA

65850 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$761.84RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$761.84RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$761.84RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$761.84RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$875.47RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$875.47RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$875.47RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$875.47RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$903.64RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$903.64RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$903.64RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$903.64RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$888.89RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$911.97RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$911.97RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$911.97RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$911.97RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$916.91RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$916.91RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$916.91RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$916.91RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$913.47RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$913.47RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$913.47RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$913.47RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$916.15RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$916.15RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$916.15RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$916.15RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$900.62RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$900.62RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$900.62RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$900.62RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$897.00RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$897.00RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$897.00RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$897.00RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$886.62RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$886.62RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$886.62RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$886.62RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this settingRate data unavailableRVU13AR

Price 65850 for an earlier date of service

Where the Salinas, CA rate applies

Salinas, CA is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 30 cities and communities in California. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Salinas
  • 65850 in Aromas · multiple payment areas
  • Boronda
  • Bradley
  • Carmel Valley Village
  • Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • Castroville
  • Chualar

Browse all communities in California

65850 billing questions

How is 65850 different from goniotomy 65820?

65850 describes an external approach to the trabecular meshwork. Goniotomy 65820 approaches and incises the angle internally.

Are related postoperative visits separately reported?

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

How should bilateral trabeculotomy be reported?

When the procedure is performed bilaterally, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

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 procedure or procedures are paid at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

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 65850PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,350 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for Salinas, CAGPCI2026.csv, line 22 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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