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CPT code 69140: Ear canal excision, lesion removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Removal of a lesion from the external auditory canal, reported when the surgeon excises the lesion rather than taking a diagnostic sample.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities254 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $842.70 for 69140 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 69140

Ear canal excision, lesion removal

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
7.94
Total RVUs
25.23
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$842.70

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 69140 →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 69140 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 69140 covers

This code covers surgical removal of a lesion located in the external auditory canal. Otolaryngologists typically perform the procedure when a canal lesion needs to be excised, rather than sampled for diagnosis alone. The operative setting depends on the lesion and the planned procedure; Medicare service data show use in both office and facility settings.

Report the code for the documented excision, distinguishing removal from a biopsy that obtains tissue for diagnosis. The operative note should identify the canal site, lesion, and work performed, including laterality when relevant. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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 69140 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

69140 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$758.54
AlaskaUnavailable$992.93
ArizonaUnavailable$820.42
ArkansasUnavailable$747.95
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$859.91
Austin, TXUnavailable$870.07
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$884.31
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$895.46
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$791.47
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$831.45

69140 rates by state

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

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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
69140 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 69140 rate is calculated

Each of 69140’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 · 69140

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.94

7.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense16.13

16.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.16

1.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

25.2300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$842.70

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 69140

69140 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 69140

Ear canal excision, lesion removal

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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.07/0.79/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 69140

Ear canal excision, lesion 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.

  • 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

69140 without 50 · national facility

$842.70

Ear canal excision, lesion removal

69140-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,264.05

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

69140 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 69140

    Ear canal excision, lesion removal7.94 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 69105

    Ear canal biopsy, external auditory canal0.83 wRVU

    $143.96

  • 69145

    Ear canal excision, with or without tympanic membrane2.63 wRVU

    $404.82

  • 69150

    Ear canal surgery, extensive excision13.27 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

69105Ear canal biopsyExternal auditory canal
69105 describes biopsy of the external auditory canal. Use 69140 when the surgeon excises the lesion rather than taking a diagnostic sample.
69145Ear canal excisionWith or without tympanic membrane
Both codes concern external auditory canal lesion excision. Select between them according to the specific operative service documented and the applicable CPT descriptor.
69150Ear canal surgeryExtensive excision
69150 is for extensive external auditory canal surgery; 69140 describes removal of an ear canal lesion without characterizing the service as extensive.

Codes related to 69140

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

Codes related to 69140
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
69105Ear canal biopsy, external auditory canalBiopsy of an external auditory canal lesion when tissue is sampled rather than the lesion excised.$126.30–$195.05
69100Ear biopsy, auricle, not ear canalBiopsy code for a lesion of the external ear, not the external auditory canal.$82.39–$122.54
Same family
69145Ear canal excision, with or without tympanic membraneRelated external auditory canal lesion excision code; distinguish by the operative service documented.$355.64–$542.78
69150Ear canal surgery, extensive excisionRelated code for extensive external auditory canal surgery.No office rate

69140 billing questions

When should this code be used instead of an ear canal biopsy code?

Use this code when the surgeon excises the canal lesion. A biopsy code describes sampling tissue for diagnostic examination rather than removal of the lesion.

What documentation supports reporting the excision?

Document that the lesion was in the external auditory canal and describe the excision performed. Include laterality and the operative details needed to distinguish the service from diagnostic sampling.

How is bilateral excision reported?

CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; reporting modifier 50 results in payment at 150%.

What does the 90-day global period include?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can an assistant surgeon be reported?

CMS payment for an assistant at surgery requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

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

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 69140PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,588 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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