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Billing code 65810: Eye drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports an anterior chamber procedure that removes vitreous, such as vitreous prolapse obstructing the pupil or contacting the cornea.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities309 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $400.81 for 65810 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 65810

Eye drainage

Work RVUs
5.67
Total RVUs
12.00
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$400.81

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 65810 →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
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 65810 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 65810 covers

This procedure removes vitreous from the eye’s anterior chamber through an anterior approach. It may be needed when vitreous prolapses forward after cataract surgery and threatens to obstruct the pupil or contact the cornea. Ophthalmologists typically perform it in an operating room or other surgical setting, using an approach suited to the location and extent of vitreous in the anterior chamber.

Choose 65810 when vitreous is removed, rather than aqueous fluid or blood; the operative note should identify the material, its location, the approach, and the clinical reason for removal. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, payment is at 150%. Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this procedure, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 65810 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

65810 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$369.84
Alaska*Unavailable$501.69
ArizonaUnavailable$392.60
ArkansasUnavailable$365.94
AtlantaUnavailable$407.48
AustinUnavailable$410.92
BakersfieldUnavailable$417.55
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$421.69
BeaumontUnavailable$382.06
BrazoriaUnavailable$397.32

65810 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.

View every state and territory as a table
65810 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 65810 rate is calculated

Each of 65810’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 · 65810

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work5.67

5.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense5.89

5.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.44

0.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

12.0000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$400.81

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 65810

65810 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 65810

Eye drainage

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.70/0.20Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 65810

Eye drainage

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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

65810 without 50 · national facility

$400.81

Eye drainage

65810-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$601.22

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

65810 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 65810

    Eye drainage5.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 65800

    Eye paracentesis1.49 wRVU

    $120.58

  • 65815

    Eye drainage5.85 wRVU

    $642.30

  • 67010

    Anterior vitrectomy6.88 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

65800Eye paracentesis
Use 65800 when aqueous fluid is removed from the anterior chamber. Use 65810 when the material removed is vitreous.
65815Eye drainage
Use 65815 for anterior chamber blood removal, with or without irrigation and air injection; 65810 is for vitreous removal.
67010Anterior vitrectomy
65810 describes anterior chamber vitreous removal. 67010 is used for subtotal anterior vitrectomy with mechanical removal.

Codes related to 65810

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

Codes related to 65810
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
65800Eye paracentesisAnterior chamber drainage when aqueous fluid, rather than vitreous, is removed.$109.21–$153.72
65815Eye drainageAnterior chamber drainage for removal of blood, with or without irrigation and air injection.$574.00–$847.40
Used instead
67010Anterior vitrectomyAnterior approach for a more extensive subtotal vitreous removal using mechanical vitrectomy.No office rate

65810 billing questions

How does 65810 differ from 65800?

65810 is for removing vitreous from the anterior chamber. Use 65800 when the material removed is aqueous fluid.

How does 65810 differ from 65815?

65810 addresses vitreous removal; 65815 is for removing blood from the anterior chamber, with or without irrigation and air injection.

What should the operative note document?

Document vitreous in the anterior chamber, the clinical problem prompting removal, the anterior approach, and the work performed.

Can 65810 be reported for both eyes?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

How does the global period affect postoperative billing?

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

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 65810. 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 65810PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,347 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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