CPT code 66987: Cataract surgery, complex, with ECP2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington, DC area
Complex cataract removal with intraocular lens placement and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation, reported when both procedures are performed during the same operation.
CMS doesn’t publish a rate for 66987 in Washington, DC area.
Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 66987 nationwide
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 11 sections
What 66987 covers
An ophthalmologist reports 66987 for complex cataract removal with placement of an intraocular lens and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) during the same operation. ECP uses an endoscope-guided laser to treat the ciliary processes and is used in glaucoma care. The cataract portion is complex because it requires additional techniques or devices beyond those used in routine cataract surgery. The combined procedure is typically performed in an operating room at an ambulatory surgery center or hospital.
Medicare assigns this service physician fee schedule status C: there is no national payment amount, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor prices each claim. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 applies and payment is 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeon and team-surgery claims require supporting documentation.
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 Washington, DC area compares for 66987
- Washington, DC area · this pageUnavailable
- Los Angeles, CA · CaliforniaUnavailable
- Miami, FL · FloridaUnavailable
- Chicago, IL · IllinoisUnavailable
- Manhattan, NY · New YorkUnavailable
- Alaska · AlaskaUnavailable
- Alabama · AlabamaUnavailable
Other areas in District of Columbia first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.
Every other payment area
66987 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.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
How the 66987 rate is calculated
Each of 66987’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 · 66987
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66987
66987 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66987
Cataract surgery, complex, with ECP
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 66987
Cataract surgery, complex, with 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
66987 without 50 · national facility
$0.00
Cataract surgery, complex, with ECP
66987-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$0.00
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).
How 66987 has changed in Washington, DC area
66987 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
January 1, 2020
RVU20A
No ratechanged toNo rate
Held through RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D, RVU21A, RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D, RVU22A, RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D, RVU23A, RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D, RVU24A, RVU24AR, RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D, RVU25A, RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D, RVU26A, RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.
January 1, 2013
RVU13AR
Earliest loaded release: No rate
Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D, RVU14A, RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D, RVU15A, RVU15B, RVU15C, RVU15D, RVU16A, RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D, RVU17A, RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D, RVU18AR1, RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D, RVU19A, RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D.
| Effective from | Office | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25A |
| 2024-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24D |
| 2024-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24C |
| 2024-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24B |
| 2024-03-09 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24AR |
| 2024-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24A |
| 2023-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23D |
| 2023-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23C |
| 2023-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23B |
| 2023-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23A |
| 2022-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22D |
| 2022-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22C |
| 2022-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22B |
| 2022-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22A |
| 2021-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21D |
| 2021-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21C |
| 2021-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21B |
| 2021-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21A |
| 2020-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20D |
| 2020-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20C |
| 2020-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20B |
| 2020-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20A |
| 2019-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU19D |
| 2019-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU19C |
| 2019-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU19B |
| 2019-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU19A |
| 2018-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU18D |
| 2018-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU18C |
| 2018-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU18B |
| 2018-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU18AR1 |
| 2017-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU17D |
| 2017-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU17C |
| 2017-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU17B |
| 2017-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU17A |
| 2016-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU16D |
| 2016-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU16C |
| 2016-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU16B |
| 2016-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU16A |
| 2015-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU15D |
| 2015-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU15C |
| 2015-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU15B |
| 2015-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU15A |
| 2014-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14D |
| 2014-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14C |
| 2014-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14B |
| 2014-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14A |
| 2013-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13D |
| 2013-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13C |
| 2013-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13B |
| 2013-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13AR |
Where the Washington, DC area rate applies
Washington, DC area is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 1 cities and communities in District of Columbia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.
- Washington
66987 billing questions
When should 66987 be chosen instead of 66982?
Use 66987 when complex cataract surgery includes endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation. Code 66982 describes complex cataract surgery without that added treatment.
How does 66987 differ from 66988?
Both include endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation with cataract surgery. Code 66987 is for a complex cataract procedure; 66988 is for a routine procedure.
Does 66987 include placement of an intraocular lens?
Yes. The service includes cataract removal and placement of an intraocular lens during the same operation.
How does Medicare price 66987?
Its physician fee schedule status is C, or carrier priced. The Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
What global period applies to 66987?
It has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days.
What documentation is needed for an assistant surgeon?
Medicare requires documentation of medical necessity for assistant-at-surgery payment. Co-surgeon and team-surgery claims require supporting documentation.
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
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