CPT code 69502: Mastoidectomy, complete mastoid dissection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports complete surgical removal of diseased mastoid air cells, typically for chronic ear disease, when the operative extent supports this level of mastoid surgery.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69502 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 69502 covers
An otolaryngologist performs this operation to open the mastoid behind the ear and remove diseased air cells. Typical indications include chronic mastoid infection or cholesteatoma involving the mastoid. The operative report should make clear the extent of the dissection and distinguish it from a more limited mastoid operation or a more extensive procedure. This service is generally performed in a hospital or other surgical facility.
Select the code from the documented operative work, not the diagnosis alone. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 69502 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 | $860.26 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $855.35 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $904.85 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $998.86 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $954.57 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $896.69 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $874.52 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $887.69 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $884.16 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $1,021.50 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $897.84 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $996.81 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $871.01 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $1,013.14 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $900.85 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $885.53 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $909.35 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $951.62 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $855.05 |
How the 69502 rate is calculated
Each of 69502’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 · 69502
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.25
12.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.11
11.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.80
1.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.1600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$840.37
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69502
69502 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69502
Mastoidectomy, complete mastoid dissection
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 69502
Mastoidectomy, complete mastoid dissection
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
69502 without 50 · national facility
$840.37
Mastoidectomy, complete mastoid dissection
69502-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,260.56
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).
69502 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69501MastoidectomyComplete, without tympanoplasty
- 69501 represents a more limited mastoid operation. Report 69502 when the operative documentation supports the complete mastoid dissection rather than the limited service.
- 69505MastoidectomyRadical procedure
- 69505 represents a modified radical mastoid operation. The surgeon’s documented operative technique and extent distinguish it from 69502.
- 69511Mastoid surgeryRadical, without tympanoplasty
- 69511 is for a radical mastoid operation, a different and broader operative service. Do not select it solely because the case involves severe disease.
69502 billing questions
How is this different from 69501?
The distinction is the extent of the mastoid operation. Use the operative report to determine whether the work is the complete dissection represented by 69502 or the more limited operation represented by 69501.
When should 69505 be considered instead?
69505 represents a modified radical mastoid operation. Choose between it and 69502 based on the operative extent and technique documented, rather than the diagnosis by itself.
How should bilateral surgery be reported?
Report bilateral surgery with modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant-at-surgery claim be submitted?
Yes, when the record documents medical necessity for the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery reporting for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in that session are paid at 50% under 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
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