CPT code 66850: Lens removal, pars plana approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports surgical removal of crystalline lens material through a pars plana approach, commonly for retained or dropped fragments after complicated cataract surgery.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66850 in Texas.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 66850 covers
An ophthalmologist, often a vitreoretinal surgeon, removes crystalline lens material through a pars plana approach. A common setting is surgery to retrieve lens fragments that have moved into the vitreous after a complicated cataract extraction; trauma may also leave lens material requiring surgical removal. The operative report should identify the material removed and the surgical approach, and clarify whether vitrectomy was performed so the service can be distinguished from the related code for lens removal with vitrectomy.
This major surgery carries a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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 66850 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $684.93 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $641.17 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $664.06 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $668.03 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $665.40 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $665.97 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $680.98 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $652.12 |
How the 66850 rate is calculated
Each of 66850’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 · 66850
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.29
10.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.95
8.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.82
0.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.0600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$670.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66850
66850 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66850
Lens removal, pars plana approach
| 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 · 66850
Lens removal, pars plana 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
66850 without 50 · national facility
$670.02
Lens removal, pars plana approach
66850-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,005.03
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).
66850 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 66840Lens aspirationAspiration technique
- Choose 66840 for lens-material removal by aspiration technique. Choose 66850 when the surgeon uses a pars plana approach.
- 66852Lens removalPars plana approach
- Both involve pars plana lens-material removal; 66852 is the related code when vitrectomy is performed.
- 66830Lens lesion removalCyst or tumor
- 66830 addresses removal of a secondary lens membrane, not retained or dropped crystalline lens material.
- 66821YAG laser capsulotomyLaser discission of secondary membrane
- 66821 is laser treatment for an after-cataract. It does not describe surgical removal of crystalline lens material.
66850 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 66840?
This code identifies removal through a pars plana approach. Code 66840 describes removal using an aspiration technique, so the operative approach and method guide selection.
When is 66852 used instead?
Use 66852 when the pars plana lens-material removal is performed with vitrectomy. The operative report should support the vitrectomy service.
Does the 90-day global include postoperative care?
Yes. Related postoperative care during the 90-day period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
How does CMS handle bilateral reporting?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted 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
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