CPT code 67710: Tarsorrhaphy release, severing prior lid closure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports surgical release of an eyelid closure created by tarsorrhaphy when the lids need to separate for improved opening or ocular access.
Medicare pays $223.41–$247.25 for 67710 in the office in Illinois, from Rest of Illinois to Suburban Chicago, IL. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 67710 covers
An ophthalmologist severs a prior tarsorrhaphy, the surgical joining of part of the upper and lower eyelids. The release may be performed when the original need to protect the cornea has changed, or when separation is needed to improve eyelid opening or permit examination or treatment of the eye. The work is distinct from making a new eyelid incision for another problem; the operative note should establish that a tarsorrhaphy was present and describe its release.
Report the service when the surgeon actually releases the prior closure. Document the indication, the site and extent of the release, and laterality. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred; 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 67710 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$223.41 to $247.25
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $244.20 | $90.79 |
| East St. Louis, IL | $226.03 | $85.60 |
| Rest of Illinois | $223.41 | $84.05 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | $247.25 | $90.48 |
How the 67710 rate is calculated
Each of 67710’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 · 67710
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.04
1.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.05
6.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
7.1700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$239.48
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 67710
67710 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 67710
Tarsorrhaphy release, severing prior lid closure
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 67710
Tarsorrhaphy release, severing prior lid closure
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
67710 without 50 · national office
$239.48
Tarsorrhaphy release, severing prior lid closure
67710-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$359.22
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).
67710 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 67715CanthotomyOrbital pressure relief
- Use 67710 to release an existing tarsorrhaphy. Use 67715 for an incision at the canthus, not to sever a prior eyelid joining.
- 67880Eyelid revisionWithout skin graft
- 67880 creates a permanent tarsorrhaphy; 67710 releases an existing tarsorrhaphy.
- 67700Eyelid abscess drainageAbscess of the eyelid
- 67700 addresses drainage of an eyelid abscess. It is not the release of a surgically joined eyelid.
67710 billing questions
How is severing a tarsorrhaphy different from a canthotomy?
This code releases an existing surgical joining of the eyelids. A canthotomy (67715) incises the canthal area for a different anatomical reason, rather than severing a prior tarsorrhaphy.
What should the operative note support?
Document the prior tarsorrhaphy, why it is being released, the location and extent of the release, and the treated side or sides.
How is bilateral release reported?
Use modifier 50 for bilateral treatment; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in this minor procedure.
What happens if another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred by statutory restriction. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery 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
Fee sheets
Put 67710 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet