CPT code 69150: Ear canal surgery, extensive excision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports extensive surgical removal of external ear canal tissue, typically for a substantial lesion or tumor requiring more than a limited canal excision.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69150 in Missouri.
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 69150 covers
An otolaryngologist or head and neck surgeon performs this extensive operation to remove substantial tissue from the external auditory canal, commonly for a tumor or other significant canal lesion. The work is broader than taking a biopsy or removing a small, localized lesion. It may involve operative removal of diseased canal tissue and reconstruction as part of the procedure. These cases are more often performed in a facility setting than in an office.
Select this service based on the documented extent of the canal operation, not simply the diagnosis or lesion name. The operative report should describe the tissue and canal involved, the extent of excision, and any reconstruction performed. 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; co-surgeons require 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 69150 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $874.90 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $881.66 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $844.80 |
How the 69150 rate is calculated
Each of 69150’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 · 69150
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work13.27
13.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.62
11.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.06
2.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
26.9500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$900.15
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69150
69150 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69150
Ear canal surgery, extensive excision
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 69150
Ear canal surgery, extensive excision
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
69150 without 51 · national facility
$900.15
Ear canal surgery, extensive excision
69150-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$450.08
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%).
69150 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69140Ear canal excisionLesion removal
- This code represents extensive canal surgery. Choose 69140 when the documented operation fits its less extensive lesion-excision scope.
- 69145Ear canal excisionWith or without tympanic membrane
- Both involve external auditory canal lesion excision, but this code is for an extensive operation. Base the choice on the documented operative scope and approach.
- 69155Ear canal surgeryExtensive with neck surgery
- Use 69155 when the extensive ear operation also includes neck surgery; this code is for the canal operation without that added neck component.
- 69105Ear canal biopsyExternal auditory canal
- 69105 represents a diagnostic canal biopsy. This code represents extensive surgical removal, not tissue sampling alone.
69150 billing questions
When is this code appropriate instead of a limited ear canal excision?
Use it when the surgeon documents an extensive canal operation rather than removal of a small, localized lesion. The operative extent, not the diagnosis alone, supports the selection.
How does this differ from an ear canal biopsy?
A biopsy obtains tissue for diagnosis; this service describes extensive operative removal of canal tissue. Do not select the extensive excision code for a diagnostic sampling alone.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable and modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Does the global period include related postoperative visits?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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
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