CPT code 69120: External ear excision, complete removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Complete excision of the external ear, typically for an extensive auricular lesion or disease when removal extends beyond a partial excision.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69120 in California.
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 69120 covers
This service removes the external ear, or auricle, completely rather than taking only a portion. Otolaryngologists and other surgeons treating auricular tumors may perform it, often when a lesion or disease requires removal of the entire external ear. The operative report should make clear that the excision was complete and identify the indication and the anatomy removed.
Choose this code for complete removal, not a limited excision of part of the ear. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, which includes 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 are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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 69120 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $375.70 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $374.13 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $397.70 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $448.02 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $425.61 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $394.96 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $380.21 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $390.45 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $388.95 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $458.12 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $396.58 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $447.37 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $382.93 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $455.48 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $399.18 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $389.99 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $403.08 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $424.68 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $374.04 |
How the 69120 rate is calculated
Each of 69120’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 · 69120
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.04
4.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.19
6.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.57
0.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.8000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$360.73
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69120
69120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69120
External ear excision, complete removal
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69120
External ear excision, complete removal
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
69120 without 51 · national facility
$360.73
External ear excision, complete removal
69120-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$180.37
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
69120 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69110Auricular excisionPartial auricle
- 69110 describes partial external-ear excision. Report 69120 when the external ear is removed completely.
- 69100Ear biopsyAuricle, not ear canal
- 69100 is for biopsy of the external ear. It represents tissue sampling, not complete removal.
- 69140Ear canal excisionLesion removal
- 69140 addresses excision of an external auditory canal lesion. Use 69120 for complete removal of the external ear itself.
69120 billing questions
How does this differ from 69110?
69120 is for complete external-ear removal. Use 69110 when the surgeon removes only part of the external ear.
Can 69120 be reported for an ear-canal lesion?
No. This code concerns complete removal of the external ear, not excision of a lesion in the external auditory canal. Codes such as 69140 or 69145 address canal lesions.
What documentation supports reporting 69120?
The operative report should identify the indication and describe removal of the external ear completely. Documentation of a partial excision supports considering 69110 instead.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral reporting?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable because the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
What services are included in the global period?
The 90-day major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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