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

In Virginia, Medicare pays $700.14 for 65850 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

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.

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 Virginia 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. Virginia pays $700.14. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

65850 rates by state

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

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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 65850

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

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

Codes related to 65850

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

How 65850 has changed in Virginia

Price 65850 for an earlier date of service

Where the Virginia rate applies

Virginia is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 628 cities and communities in Virginia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Abbs Valley
• Abingdon
• Accomac
• Adwolf
• Afton
• Alberta
• Aldie
• Allison Gap

Browse all communities in Virginia

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates