CPT code 69155: Ear canal surgery, extensive with neck surgery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,431.23 for 69155 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 69155 covers

CPT 69155 represents extensive operative treatment of an external auditory canal lesion that also involves neck surgery. It is used for substantial surgical management, such as resection of an extensive canal tumor with a neck dissection, rather than a biopsy or a limited excision. Otolaryngologists typically perform this work in a hospital or other surgical facility; the operative report should establish the lesion’s site and extent and describe the canal and neck procedures performed.

Select this code when the documented operation matches its extensive ear-and-neck scope, not simply because a lesion is large or malignant. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures occur 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. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 69155 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

69155 rates by state

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

How the 69155 rate is calculated

Each of 69155’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 69155

69155 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

69155 compared with similar codes

How to choose

69145Ear canal excisionWith or without tympanic membrane

Use 69155 when the extensive canal operation includes neck surgery. 69145 represents extensive canal lesion excision without that ear-and-neck scope.

69140Ear canal excisionLesion removal

69140 is for limited excision of an external auditory canal lesion. 69155 represents extensive surgery involving the canal and neck.

69105Ear canal biopsyExternal auditory canal

69105 reports biopsy of an external auditory canal site for tissue diagnosis; it does not represent extensive resection with neck surgery.

Codes related to 69155

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates