CPT code 66840: Lens aspiration, aspiration technique2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports cataract lens removal by aspiration, commonly for soft lens material when the surgeon uses aspiration rather than phacofragmentation or a pars plana approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66840 in California.
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
On this page 9 sections
What 66840 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon uses an aspiration method to remove lens material from the eye, typically during cataract surgery when the material can be removed without phacofragmentation. The service may involve one or more stages of aspiration. It is distinct from treating a secondary membrane after cataract surgery and from removing lens material through a pars plana approach.
Choose this code when the operative report supports aspiration as the removal technique. Document the treated eye, the lens material addressed, and the operative steps; the record should distinguish aspiration from phacofragmentation or a pars plana route. 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 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 66840 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $612.65 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $610.44 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $643.84 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $715.93 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $682.88 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $638.71 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $618.14 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $633.95 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $631.38 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $730.81 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $641.14 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $715.12 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $621.84 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $727.51 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $643.40 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $632.36 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $649.57 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $681.72 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $610.32 |
How the 66840 rate is calculated
Each of 66840’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 · 66840
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.95
8.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.02
8.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.71
0.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
17.6800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$590.53
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66840
66840 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66840
Lens aspiration, aspiration technique
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 66840
Lens aspiration, aspiration technique
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
66840 without 50 · national facility
$590.53
Lens aspiration, aspiration technique
66840-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$885.80
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).
66840 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 66850Lens removalPars plana approach
- 66840 reflects aspiration removal; 66850 is selected when the surgeon uses phacofragmentation with aspiration.
- 66852Lens removalPars plana approach
- Choose 66852 when lens material is removed through a pars plana approach, rather than the aspiration approach represented by 66840.
- 66830Lens lesion removalCyst or tumor
- 66830 treats a secondary membranous cataract, not lens material removed during cataract surgery.
- 66984Cataract surgeryStandard, without ECP or drainage device
- 66984 represents standard cataract extraction with intraocular lens insertion; 66840 describes aspiration removal of lens material without that combined service.
66840 billing questions
How is 66840 distinguished from 66850?
Use 66840 when the operative documentation supports aspiration as the removal method. Code 66850 describes removal using phacofragmentation with aspiration.
When is 66852 a better fit?
66852 is for lens-material removal through a pars plana approach. The operative approach, rather than the material alone, separates it from 66840.
Does 66840 describe treatment of a secondary cataract membrane?
No. It concerns removal of lens material; 66830 addresses removal of a secondary membranous opacity.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is bilateral surgery reported and paid?
For bilateral surgery, report modifier 50; CMS pays the procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for 66840?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted by statute. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 66840 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist