Billing code 65435: Corneal treatmentMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports therapeutic removal of corneal epithelium, commonly for recurrent corneal erosion, with chemical cauterization optional.
Medicare pays $83.50 for 65435 nationally in the office and $60.46 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $75.16–$108.31.
Medicare rate · 65435
Corneal treatment
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 0.9
- Total RVUs
- 2.50
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$83.50
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 65435 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
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
What 65435 covers
An ophthalmologist removes the corneal surface epithelium to help treat a condition such as recurrent corneal erosion; chemical cauterization may also be performed. The service is typically done in an eye-care setting, including an office or facility. It is therapeutic treatment of the corneal surface, not collection of a specimen for diagnostic testing or excision of a separate corneal lesion.
Report the service when the documented treatment consists of epithelial removal, with or without chemical cauterization. If the procedure also includes scraping of Bowman’s membrane, distinguish the service from the related code 65436. Documentation should identify the treated eye, the clinical indication, and the work performed. This is a minor procedure with a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. 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 65435 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$75.16 to $108.31
109 of 109 payment localities
65435 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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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.
$75.16
$100.80
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
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| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $100.80 | 1 |
| AL | $76.10 | 1 |
| AR | $75.16 | 1 |
| AZ | $81.58 | 1 |
| CA | $87.83–$108.31 | 29 |
| CO | $86.62 | 1 |
| CT | $88.53 | 1 |
| DC | $94.49 | 1 |
| DE | $82.80 | 1 |
| FL | $82.43–$89.17 | 3 |
| GA | $78.43–$84.88 | 2 |
| GU | $89.52 | 1 |
| HI | $89.52 | 1 |
| IA | $77.75 | 1 |
| ID | $78.18 | 1 |
| IL | $80.37–$87.00 | 4 |
| IN | $78.57 | 1 |
| KS | $77.44 | 1 |
| KY | $77.63 | 1 |
| LA | $77.53–$80.81 | 2 |
| MA | $86.22–$94.39 | 2 |
| MD | $84.22–$94.49 | 3 |
| ME | $78.53–$82.18 | 2 |
| MI | $79.36–$83.32 | 2 |
| MN | $83.34 | 1 |
| MO | $76.39–$81.05 | 3 |
| MS | $75.79 | 1 |
| MT | $83.50 | 1 |
| NC | $79.23 | 1 |
| ND | $82.11 | 1 |
| NE | $78.11 | 1 |
| NH | $85.31 | 1 |
| NJ | $89.63–$93.73 | 2 |
| NM | $79.73 | 1 |
| NV | $83.16 | 1 |
| NY | $80.25–$97.09 | 5 |
| OH | $79.07 | 1 |
| OK | $77.51 | 1 |
| OR | $82.60–$89.06 | 2 |
| PA | $79.18–$86.59 | 2 |
| PR | $84.03 | 1 |
| RI | $85.51 | 1 |
| SC | $79.27 | 1 |
| SD | $81.95 | 1 |
| TN | $77.77 | 1 |
| TX | $78.74–$86.26 | 8 |
| UT | $80.20 | 1 |
| VA | $81.95–$94.49 | 2 |
| VI | $84.03 | 1 |
| VT | $81.84 | 1 |
| WA | $86.04–$96.18 | 2 |
| WI | $79.74 | 1 |
| WV | $77.82 | 1 |
| WY | $82.89 | 1 |
How the 65435 rate is calculated
Each of 65435’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 · 65435
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.90Practice expense 1.53Malpractice 0.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65435
The CMS indicators that decide how 65435 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 65435
Corneal treatment
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
65435 without 50 · national office
$83.50
Corneal treatment
65435-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$125.25
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).
65435 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
65435 vs 65436 vs 65430 vs 65410 vs 65400: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 65436Corneal treatment
- Choose 65435 for epithelial removal with or without chemical cauterization. Choose 65436 when the documented procedure also includes scraping of Bowman’s membrane.
- 65430Corneal scraping
- 65430 is diagnostic scraping to collect corneal material for smear or culture; 65435 is therapeutic removal of the epithelium.
- 65410Corneal biopsy
- 65410 represents corneal biopsy for diagnostic tissue sampling. 65435 treats the corneal surface by removing epithelium.
- 65400Corneal excision
- 65400 is for excision of a corneal lesion. Use 65435 when the documented treatment is epithelial removal, not excision of a separate lesion.
65435 billing questions
When should 65435 be chosen over 65436?
Use 65435 for therapeutic corneal epithelial removal, with or without chemical cauterization. Code 65436 is the related choice when the procedure also includes scraping of Bowman’s membrane.
Is 65435 used for a diagnostic corneal scraping?
No. Code 65435 describes therapeutic epithelial removal. Code 65430 is used for corneal scraping to obtain material for smear or culture.
What same-day care is included?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
Report bilateral treatment with modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
How does payment work when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this service. 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
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