CPT code 69501: Mastoidectomy, complete, without tympanoplasty2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports complete removal of mastoid air cells for disease such as mastoiditis or cholesteatoma when the operation does not include tympanoplasty.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69501 in Massachusetts.
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 69501 covers
An otolaryngologist or otologist performs this operation in the operating room, opening the mastoid and removing its air cells and diseased tissue. It is used for conditions such as mastoiditis or cholesteatoma involving the mastoid. The operation is a complete mastoidectomy without tympanoplasty; the operative report should make the extent of mastoid work and any separate middle-ear reconstruction clear. Medicare facility claims are typical for this service.
Select the code based on the operation documented, not just the diagnosis: a complete mastoidectomy without tympanoplasty is distinct from procedures that add tympanoplasty or involve a modified radical or radical approach. The record should describe the mastoid work, disease treated, and whether tympanoplasty was performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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 69501 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $699.74 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $647.01 |
How the 69501 rate is calculated
Each of 69501’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 · 69501
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.98
8.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.74
8.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.31
1.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.0300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$635.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69501
69501 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69501
Mastoidectomy, complete, without tympanoplasty
| 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) | 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) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69501
Mastoidectomy, complete, without tympanoplasty
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
69501 without 50 · national facility
$635.62
Mastoidectomy, complete, without tympanoplasty
69501-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$953.43
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).
69501 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69502MastoidectomyComplete mastoid dissection
- Use 69501 for a complete mastoidectomy without tympanoplasty. 69502 represents the complete mastoidectomy performed with tympanoplasty.
- 69505MastoidectomyRadical procedure
- 69505 represents a modified radical mastoidectomy. Choose based on the operative approach and extent documented, rather than the diagnosis alone.
- 69511Mastoid surgeryRadical, without tympanoplasty
- 69511 represents a radical mastoidectomy, not the complete mastoidectomy described by 69501. The operative report should support the more extensive approach.
69501 billing questions
How is 69501 distinguished from 69502?
69501 describes a complete mastoidectomy without tympanoplasty. When tympanoplasty is performed as part of the mastoid operation, compare the documentation with 69502.
What documentation supports 69501?
The operative report should identify the mastoid disease treated and describe the extent of the mastoidectomy. It should also clarify whether tympanoplasty or a more extensive mastoid approach was performed.
Can tympanoplasty be billed separately with 69501?
The code distinguishes a complete mastoidectomy without tympanoplasty from a mastoidectomy performed with tympanoplasty. Review the operative work before reporting a separate tympanoplasty service.
How does Medicare handle bilateral 69501?
For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, Medicare payment is 150% under the CMS rule for this code.
Are assistant or co-surgeon services payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 69501. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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 · Coming soon
Put 69501 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist