CPT code 69660: Stapes surgery, primary procedure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $818.99 for 69660 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 69660 covers

An otolaryngologist performs this middle-ear operation to address a fixed stapes that is limiting sound transmission, often in a patient with conductive hearing loss from otosclerosis. The surgeon works through the ear canal, removes or creates an opening in the stapes footplate, and restores the sound-conducting pathway, commonly using a prosthesis. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room.

Report this code for the primary stapes operation, rather than a revision procedure or a case requiring footplate drill-out. The operative report should identify the stapes work performed, the condition treated, and whether the ossicular pathway was restored. CMS 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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 69660 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

69660 rates by state

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

How the 69660 rate is calculated

Each of 69660’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 69660

69660 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 50

69660 compared with similar codes

How to choose

69650Stapes mobilizationStapes freed without removal

69650 describes stapes mobilization. Choose 69660 when the surgeon performs primary stapes surgery to restore sound transmission rather than mobilizing the stapes.

69661Stapes revisionRevision surgery

69661 applies when the stapes procedure includes footplate drill-out; 69660 is the primary stapes procedure without that distinction.

69662Stapes revisionPrior stapedectomy or stapedotomy

69662 is for revision of prior stapes surgery. 69660 is for the primary operation.

69631TympanoplastyNo mastoidectomy or chain reconstruction

69631 addresses repair involving the tympanic membrane and middle-ear structures. 69660 targets the stapes as the cause of impaired sound transmission.

Codes related to 69660

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