FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

CPT code 66982: Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports complex cataract removal with intraocular lens implantation when nonroutine devices or techniques are needed, without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities530K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $630.61 for 66982 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 66982

Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
9.99
Total RVUs
18.88
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$630.61

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 66982 →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 66982 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 66982 covers

An ophthalmic surgeon removes the cataract and places an intraocular lens during the same operation. This level is for cases requiring a device or technique beyond routine cataract surgery, such as an iris expansion device for a small pupil, support for an unstable lens capsule, or a primary posterior capsulorrhexis. The operative note should identify the specific challenge and what additional method or device was required; a difficult case alone does not establish the complex service.

Report this code for the complex operation without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP). The lens implant is part of the one-stage service, rather than a separate insertion procedure. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 multiple procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 66982 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

66982 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$585.34
AlaskaUnavailable$803.18
ArizonaUnavailable$618.42
ArkansasUnavailable$579.66
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$641.24
Austin, TXUnavailable$643.96
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$652.60
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$661.95
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$604.39
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$625.04

66982 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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
66982 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

How the 66982 rate is calculated

Each of 66982’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 · 66982

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work9.99

9.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.10

8.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.79

0.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

18.8800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$630.61

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 66982

66982 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 66982

Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP

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 · 66982

Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP

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

66982 without 50 · national facility

$630.61

Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP

66982-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$945.92

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

66982 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 66982

    Cataract surgery, complex, without ECP9.99 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66984

    Cataract surgery, standard, without ECP or drainage device7.17 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66987

    Cataract surgery, complex, with ECP0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66989

    Cataract surgery, complex with drainage device11.83 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66985

    Lens implantation, secondary implant9.73 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

66984Cataract surgeryStandard, without ECP or drainage device
66984 is for routine cataract removal with lens implantation. Choose 66982 when the documented operation requires an additional device or technique beyond routine surgery.
66987Cataract surgeryComplex, with ECP
66987 describes complex cataract surgery performed with ECP. This code is for the complex cataract operation without ECP.
66989Cataract surgeryComplex with drainage device
66989 combines complex cataract removal and lens implantation with insertion of an aqueous drainage device. This code does not describe that combined drainage-device service.
66985Lens implantationSecondary implant
66985 reports insertion of a lens prosthesis as a separate procedure. In 66982, lens implantation occurs as part of the same cataract operation.

Codes related to 66982

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

Codes related to 66982
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
66984Cataract surgery, standard, without ECP or drainage deviceRoutine cataract removal with lens implantation, without the additional complexity required for 66982.No office rate
Used instead
66987Cataract surgery, complex, with ECPComplex cataract surgery combined with ECP.No office rate
66988Cataract surgery, with ECP, noncomplexCataract surgery combined with ECP when the complex level is not supported.No office rate
66989Cataract surgery, complex with drainage deviceComplex cataract surgery combined with insertion of an aqueous drainage device.No office rate
66983Cataract extraction, intracapsular with lens implantCataract extraction with lens implantation using an intracapsular approach.No office rate
66985Lens implantation, secondary implantLens prosthesis insertion in a separate procedure rather than during one-stage cataract surgery.No office rate

66982 billing questions

How does this differ from routine cataract surgery?

Use this code when the operation requires a nonroutine device or technique, such as mechanical pupil expansion or support for an unstable capsule. Routine cataract removal with lens implantation is reported with 66984.

Is the intraocular lens billed separately?

No. Implantation of the lens during the same operation is included in this one-stage cataract service.

What documentation supports the complex level?

Document the specific condition affecting the operation and the additional device or technique used. For example, state why pupil expansion was needed and identify the expansion device used.

Can this code be used when ECP is performed?

This code describes complex cataract surgery without ECP. When ECP accompanies cataract surgery, compare the combined-service codes, including 66987.

How is bilateral surgery handled?

CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 at 150%. The 90-day global period applies to the surgical service and related postoperative care.

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 66982PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,405 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 66982 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 66982 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist