CPT code 66770: Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Report 66770 when an ophthalmologist surgically excises a lesion of the ciliary body rather than destroying ciliary tissue to treat glaucoma.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities12 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $534.08 for 66770 nationally in the office and $415.51 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $481.54–$689.61.

Medicare rate · 66770

Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
5.98
Total RVUs
15.99
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$534.08

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 66770 →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 66770 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 66770 covers

CPT 66770 describes surgical removal of a lesion involving the ciliary body, the structure inside the eye that produces aqueous humor. An ophthalmologist typically performs the procedure in an operating room, using an approach suited to the lesion’s location and extent. It is distinct from procedures that destroy ciliary tissue to lower intraocular pressure; those treat glaucoma rather than excise a lesion.

Select the code when the operative record supports excision of a ciliary body lesion. Documentation should identify the lesion’s site and describe the excision performed and the treated eye. 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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 66770 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$481.54 to $689.61

$481.54$585.58$689.61
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

66770 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$487.44$383.69
Alaska$647.61$521.33
Arizona$521.94$407.04
Arkansas$481.54$379.68
Atlanta, GA$542.93$422.46
Austin, TX$551.17$425.72
Bakersfield, CA$562.33$432.37
Baltimore area, MD$564.26$437.03
Beaumont, TX$504.29$396.39
Brazoria, TX$529.36$411.85

66770 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.

$481.54

$647.61

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
66770 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$647.611
AL$487.441
AR$481.541
AZ$521.941
CA$560.78–$689.6129
CO$553.431
CT$565.911
DC$603.361
DE$529.671
FL$527.96–$571.153
GA$502.68–$542.932
GU$571.131
HI$571.131
IA$497.531
ID$500.321
IL$515.20–$557.404
IN$502.751
KS$495.701
KY$497.381
LA$496.78–$517.422
MA$550.98–$602.362
MD$538.61–$603.363
ME$502.65–$525.422
MI$508.38–$533.702
MN$532.271
MO$489.70–$518.823
MS$485.691
MT$534.051
NC$507.061
ND$524.761
NE$499.781
NH$545.181
NJ$572.91–$598.712
NM$510.791
NV$531.781
NY$513.49–$620.545
OH$506.481
OK$496.481
OR$528.14–$568.632
PA$507.09–$553.772
PR$537.351
RI$546.701
SC$507.511
SD$523.661
TN$497.821
TX$504.29–$551.178
UT$513.361
VA$524.05–$603.362
VI$537.351
VT$523.141
WA$549.81–$613.532
WI$509.831
WV$499.101
WY$530.001

How the 66770 rate is calculated

Each of 66770’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 · 66770

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work5.98

5.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.54

9.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.47

0.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

15.9900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$534.08

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 66770

66770 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 66770

Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion

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)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 · 66770

Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion

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

66770 without 50 · national office

$534.08

Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion

66770-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$801.12

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

66770 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 66770

    Intraocular lesion removal, ciliary body lesion5.98 wRVU

    $534.08

  • 66600

    Iris surgery, lesion removal9.87 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66710

    Ciliary body treatment, transscleral laser5.01 wRVU

    $445.23−$88.85

  • 66711

    Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation, ciliary body destruction5.48 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

66600Iris surgeryLesion removal
Use 66600 for excision of a lesion confined to the iris. Use 66770 when the lesion involves the ciliary body.
66710Ciliary body treatmentTransscleral laser
66710 destroys ciliary body tissue to treat glaucoma; 66770 removes a ciliary body lesion.
66711Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulationCiliary body destruction
66711 is endoscopic ciliary body destruction for glaucoma. It is not the excision code for a ciliary body lesion.

66770 billing questions

How is 66770 different from excision of an iris lesion?

66770 is for a lesion involving the ciliary body. Use the iris-lesion procedure when the excised lesion is confined to the iris.

Can 66770 be reported with a ciliary body destruction procedure?

They describe different treatment goals: 66770 removes a lesion, while ciliary body destruction procedures treat conditions such as glaucoma. Report both only when the operative documentation supports distinct services in the same session.

What postoperative care is included?

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

How does Medicare handle bilateral reporting?

CMS lists this as a bilateral procedure; reporting modifier 50 is paid at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this operation?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.

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 66770PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,394 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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