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CPT code 67570: Optic nerve surgery, decompression2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical decompression of the optic nerve, including optic nerve sheath fenestration, for vision-threatening pressure-related optic neuropathy.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities50 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,108.24 for 67570 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 67570

Optic nerve surgery, decompression

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
14.04
Total RVUs
33.18
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,108.24

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 67570 →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 9 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 67570 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 67570 covers

This code covers an operation to relieve pressure affecting the optic nerve, commonly by opening the nerve’s surrounding sheath. It may be considered for vision-threatening optic nerve injury associated with elevated pressure, including papilledema. The service is performed in an operating room by an ophthalmic or neurosurgical specialist; the operative report should identify the indication, treated side, surgical method, and findings supporting decompression.

Report the code for the decompression operation itself, not for an orbital injection or an orbital implant procedure. The documented work should establish that the optic nerve was surgically decompressed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 67570 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

67570 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,016.77
AlaskaUnavailable$1,365.04
ArizonaUnavailable$1,084.20
ArkansasUnavailable$1,005.23
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,126.80
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,139.82
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,160.31
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,168.55
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,051.42
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,098.35

67570 rates by state

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

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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
67570 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 67570 rate is calculated

Each of 67570’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 · 67570

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work14.04

14.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense18.02

18.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.12

1.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

33.1800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,108.24

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 67570

67570 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 67570

Optic nerve surgery, decompression

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 67570

Optic nerve surgery, decompression

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

67570 without 50 · national facility

$1,108.24

Optic nerve surgery, decompression

67570-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,662.36

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

67570 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 67570

    Optic nerve surgery, decompression14.04 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 67500

    Eye injection, retrobulbar medication1.15 wRVU

    $78.83

  • 67550

    Orbital implant, muscles attached11.48 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 67599

    Unlisted orbit procedure, no dedicated CPT code0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

67500Eye injectionRetrobulbar medication
This code describes an orbital injection. Choose 67570 when the service is surgical decompression of the optic nerve.
67550Orbital implantMuscles attached
67550 concerns placement of an orbital implant; it is not the code for pressure-relieving surgery on the optic nerve.
67599Unlisted orbit procedureNo dedicated CPT code
67599 is for an orbital procedure without a specific listed code. Use 67570 when the documented service is the specified optic nerve decompression operation.

67570 billing questions

When is 67570 different from an orbital injection code?

67570 describes an operation to decompress the optic nerve. Codes 67500, 67505, and 67515 describe orbital injections, not surgical decompression.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?

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

How is bilateral decompression reported?

For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%.

How does CMS handle another procedure performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What should the operative note establish?

Document the clinical reason for decompression, the side treated, the surgical method, and operative findings showing that optic nerve decompression was performed.

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 67570PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,485 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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