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CPT 21280: CanthopexyMedicare rate & RVUs

Medial canthopexy tightens or repositions support at the inner corner of the eyelid for documented medial canthal laxity or malposition.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities193 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $524.39 for 21280 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 21280

Canthopexy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.95
Total RVUs
15.70
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$524.39

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 21280 →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 21280 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 21280 covers

Medial canthopexy stabilizes or repositions the medial canthal tendon, which supports the eyelids at the inner corner of the eye. Oculoplastic, plastic, or facial plastic surgeons may perform it for medial canthal laxity or malposition, including in reconstructive settings. The operative report should identify the affected side, the clinical problem, and the tendon-support maneuver performed.

Select this code for work directed at the medial canthus; lateral canthal support is a different service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral work reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 21280 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

21280 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$480.53
Alaska*Unavailable$647.27
ArizonaUnavailable$512.65
ArkansasUnavailable$475.03
AtlantaUnavailable$534.15
AustinUnavailable$537.73
BakersfieldUnavailable$545.31
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$553.33
BeaumontUnavailable$498.54
BrazoriaUnavailable$518.62

21280 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
21280 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 21280 rate is calculated

Each of 21280’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 · 21280

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.95Practice expense 8.04Malpractice 0.71

15.7000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$524.39

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 21280

21280 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 21280

Canthopexy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 21280

Canthopexy

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

21280 without 50 · national facility

$524.39

Canthopexy

21280-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$786.59

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).

When to use modifier 50

21280 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

21280 vs 21282 vs 67950 vs 67917: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 21280
    Canthopexy · 6.95 wRVU
    —
  • 21282
    Canthopexy · 4.16 wRVU
    —
  • 67950
    Canthoplasty · 5.84 wRVU
    $588.86
  • 67917
    Eyelid repair · 5.78 wRVU
    $625.60

How to choose

21282Canthopexy
21280 stabilizes the medial canthus at the inner eye corner; 21282 addresses the lateral canthus at the outer corner.
67950Canthoplasty
67950 describes canthal reconstruction. Choose 21280 when the documented procedure is medial canthal tendon tightening or repositioning rather than broader reconstruction.
67917Eyelid repair
67917 is for extensive ectropion repair, such as a tarsal strip operation. Choose 21280 when the documented work specifically supports or repositions the medial canthal tendon.

Codes related to 21280

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

Codes related to 21280
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
21282CanthopexyCanthopexy at the lateral rather than medial canthus.No office rate
Used instead
67950CanthoplastyCanthal reconstruction when the service is reconstruction rather than medial tendon support.$527.59–$769.24
67917Eyelid repairExtensive ectropion repair when correction of eyelid eversion is the primary procedure.$559.10–$823.49

21280 billing questions

How does medial canthopexy differ from lateral canthopexy?

Code 21280 addresses support at the inner corner of the eyelid. Use 21282 for support at the outer corner.

Can this be reported with an ectropion repair?

The operative note should distinguish medial tendon stabilization from the eyelid-position repair. Do not separately report a maneuver that is integral to the other operation.

How is bilateral work reported?

Report bilateral work with modifier 50 when appropriate; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%. Document the procedure on both sides.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

When may an assistant at surgery be paid?

CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 21280PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,938 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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