$627.47–$907.89
Choose 65400 when the lesion is cut out. Choose 65450 when the documented treatment destroys the lesion in place.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
65450 Corneal treatment Medicare reimbursement rates
An ophthalmologist destroys a focal corneal lesion with a selected treatment method rather than excising it or taking tissue for diagnosis. Compare 65450 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 65450?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$300.42–$437.26
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $136.84 per service.
Facility setting
$261.11–$371.27
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $110.16 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 65450 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$300.42 to $437.26
Ophthalmology
About 65450: Corneal lesion destruction treatment
An ophthalmologist destroys a focal corneal lesion with a selected treatment method rather than excising it or taking tissue for diagnosis.
This ophthalmic procedure treats a focal lesion on the cornea by destroying the target with a selected method, such as freezing, light-based coagulation, or heat cautery. It is generally performed by an ophthalmologist, often a cornea specialist, in an office procedure room or ambulatory surgical setting. It differs from cutting out corneal tissue, sampling it for diagnosis, or removing a broader area of surface epithelium.
Report the service for the treated eye and document the lesion’s location, the treatment method, and the work 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 65450
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.38 · 34%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.38 · 64%
- Malpractice RVU0.26 · 3%
549
Medicare services in 2024 · #3471 by national volume
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.
65450 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$129.13–$188.40
65410 is for obtaining a corneal tissue sample for diagnosis; 65450 treats a lesion rather than sampling it.
$75.16–$108.31
65435 involves removal of corneal epithelium. 65450 targets a focal lesion for destruction.
$354.61–$501.83
65436 is used for corneal surface treatment with a chelating agent. 65450 describes focal lesion destruction by another treatment method.
See how rates vary across the country
65450 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$300.42
$401.08
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $401.08 | 1 |
| AL | $304.27 | 1 |
| AR | $300.42 | 1 |
| AZ | $326.82 | 1 |
| CA | $353.02–$437.26 | 29 |
| CO | $347.77 | 1 |
| CT | $355.17 | 1 |
| DC | $379.69 | 1 |
| DE | $331.81 | 1 |
| FL | $329.67–$356.69 | 3 |
| GA | $313.33–$340.17 | 2 |
| GU | $360.22 | 1 |
| HI | $360.22 | 1 |
| IA | $311.33 | 1 |
| ID | $313.05 | 1 |
| IL | $321.03–$347.93 | 4 |
| IN | $314.66 | 1 |
| KS | $309.91 | 1 |
| KY | $310.29 | 1 |
| LA | $309.81–$323.29 | 2 |
| MA | $346.01–$379.69 | 2 |
| MD | $337.65–$379.69 | 3 |
| ME | $314.35–$329.55 | 2 |
| MI | $317.26–$333.18 | 2 |
| MN | $334.74 | 1 |
| MO | $305.04–$324.47 | 3 |
| MS | $302.79 | 1 |
| MT | $334.66 | 1 |
| NC | $317.26 | 1 |
| ND | $329.52 | 1 |
| NE | $312.87 | 1 |
| NH | $342.33 | 1 |
| NJ | $359.64–$376.48 | 2 |
| NM | $318.74 | 1 |
| NV | $333.44 | 1 |
| NY | $321.44–$389.62 | 5 |
| OH | $316.21 | 1 |
| OK | $309.94 | 1 |
| OR | $331.25–$357.91 | 2 |
| PA | $316.73–$347.12 | 2 |
| PR | $336.89 | 1 |
| RI | $342.92 | 1 |
| SC | $317.18 | 1 |
| SD | $328.91 | 1 |
| TN | $311.26 | 1 |
| TX | $314.88–$346.27 | 8 |
| UT | $321.01 | 1 |
| VA | $328.50–$379.69 | 2 |
| VI | $336.89 | 1 |
| VT | $328.26 | 1 |
| WA | $345.36–$387.11 | 2 |
| WI | $319.72 | 1 |
| WV | $310.50 | 1 |
| WY | $332.42 | 1 |
Compare 65450 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $304.27 | Facility $264.23 |
| Alaska* | Office $401.08 | Facility $352.34 |
| Arizona | Office $326.82 | Facility $282.48 |
| Arkansas | Office $300.42 | Facility $261.11 |
| Atlanta | Office $340.17 | Facility $293.68 |
| Austin | Office $346.27 | Facility $297.86 |
| Bakersfield | Office $353.88 | Facility $303.73 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $354.10 | Facility $305.00 |
| Beaumont | Office $314.88 | Facility $273.24 |
| Brazoria | Office $331.75 | Facility $286.40 |
| Chicago | Office $347.78 | Facility $301.79 |
| Chico | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Colorado | Office $347.77 | Facility $299.08 |
| Connecticut | Office $355.17 | Facility $305.88 |
| Dallas | Office $333.61 | Facility $288.03 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $379.69 | Facility $325.78 |
| Delaware | Office $331.81 | Facility $286.60 |
| Detroit | Office $333.18 | Facility $289.02 |
| East St. Louis | Office $326.44 | Facility $284.34 |
| El Centro | Office $353.07 | Facility $302.92 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $344.46 | Facility $298.11 |
| Fort Worth | Office $331.59 | Facility $286.47 |
| Fresno | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Galveston | Office $332.59 | Facility $287.16 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $360.22 | Facility $308.19 |
| Houston | Office $337.35 | Facility $291.91 |
| Idaho | Office $313.05 | Facility $270.95 |
| Indiana | Office $314.66 | Facility $272.24 |
| Iowa | Office $311.33 | Facility $269.46 |
| Kansas | Office $309.91 | Facility $268.55 |
| Kentucky | Office $310.29 | Facility $269.61 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $375.38 | Facility $321.25 |
| Madera | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Manhattan | Office $381.51 | Facility $328.34 |
| Merced | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $379.69 | Facility $325.05 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $321.48 | Facility $278.51 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $347.12 | Facility $299.49 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $324.47 | Facility $280.90 |
| Miami | Office $356.69 | Facility $309.06 |
| Minnesota | Office $334.74 | Facility $287.66 |
| Mississippi | Office $302.79 | Facility $263.39 |
| Modesto | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Montana** | Office $334.66 | Facility $288.90 |
| Napa | Office $405.28 | Facility $344.97 |
| Nebraska | Office $312.87 | Facility $270.63 |
| Nevada** | Office $333.44 | Facility $287.63 |
| New Hampshire | Office $342.33 | Facility $294.69 |
| New Mexico | Office $318.74 | Facility $276.77 |
| New Orleans | Office $323.29 | Facility $280.23 |
| North Carolina | Office $317.26 | Facility $274.57 |
| North Dakota** | Office $329.52 | Facility $283.76 |
| Northern Nj | Office $376.48 | Facility $323.39 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $389.62 | Facility $335.21 |
| Ohio | Office $316.21 | Facility $274.43 |
| Oklahoma | Office $309.94 | Facility $269.08 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $373.35 | Facility $319.26 |
| Portland | Office $357.91 | Facility $307.08 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $361.83 | Facility $311.72 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $336.89 | Facility $290.63 |
| Queens | Office $384.52 | Facility $330.44 |
| Redding | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Rest Of California | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $329.67 | Facility $285.92 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $313.33 | Facility $272.51 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $321.03 | Facility $279.25 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $309.81 | Facility $269.31 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $314.35 | Facility $272.25 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $337.65 | Facility $291.34 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $346.01 | Facility $297.83 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $317.26 | Facility $275.48 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $305.04 | Facility $265.60 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $359.64 | Facility $309.67 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $321.44 | Facility $277.97 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $331.25 | Facility $285.67 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $316.73 | Facility $274.72 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $322.97 | Facility $279.54 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $345.36 | Facility $297.18 |
| Rhode Island | Office $342.92 | Facility $295.65 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $355.89 | Facility $305.74 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $369.45 | Facility $316.23 |
| Salinas | Office $368.03 | Facility $314.99 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $375.85 | Facility $321.13 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $428.07 | Facility $363.55 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $427.78 | Facility $363.26 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $437.26 | Facility $371.27 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $436.05 | Facility $370.06 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $362.19 | Facility $310.07 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $378.83 | Facility $323.24 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $369.18 | Facility $315.83 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $382.62 | Facility $326.43 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $387.11 | Facility $330.96 |
| South Carolina | Office $317.18 | Facility $274.90 |
| South Dakota** | Office $328.91 | Facility $283.15 |
| Southern Maine | Office $329.55 | Facility $284.21 |
| Stockton | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $347.93 | Facility $300.93 |
| Tennessee | Office $311.26 | Facility $269.67 |
| Utah | Office $321.01 | Facility $277.99 |
| Vallejo | Office $404.86 | Facility $344.55 |
| Vermont | Office $328.26 | Facility $282.95 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $336.89 | Facility $290.63 |
| Virginia | Office $328.50 | Facility $283.52 |
| Visalia | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
| West Virginia | Office $310.50 | Facility $270.74 |
| Wisconsin | Office $319.72 | Facility $275.88 |
| Wyoming** | Office $332.42 | Facility $286.66 |
| Yuba City | Office $353.02 | Facility $302.87 |
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65450 billing questions
How is 65450 different from corneal lesion excision?
65450 is for destroying the lesion in place. Use 65400 when the corneal lesion is removed by excision.
Can a corneal biopsy be reported as 65450?
No. A biopsy obtains tissue for diagnostic examination; 65450 treats a lesion by destruction.
How does 65450 differ from corneal epithelial removal?
65435 describes removal of corneal epithelium, with or without chemical cautery. Use 65450 when the documented service is focal lesion destruction.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
Report modifier 50 when both eyes are treated. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
7,32265430,,Corneal smear,A,,1.43,1.92,,1.02,,0.11,3.46,2.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32365435,,Curette/treat cornea,A,,0.90,1.53,,0.84,,0.07,2.50,1.81,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32465436,,Curette/treat cornea,A,,4.70,6.66,,4.44,,0.38,11.74,9.52,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32565450,,Treatment of corneal lesion,A,,3.38,6.38,,5.01,,0.26,10.02,8.65,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32665600,,Revision of cornea,A,,4.10,8.81,,4.55,,0.33,13.24,8.98,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32765710,,Corneal transplant,A,,14.09,14.21,NA,14.21,,1.13,29.43,29.43,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,32865730,,Corneal transplant,A,,15.94,14.75,NA,14.75,,1.28,31.97,31.97,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00