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Billing code 66155: Glaucoma surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports glaucoma filtration surgery that creates a scleral drainage pathway and includes an iridectomy to help lower intraocular pressure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $760.87 for 66155 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 66155

Glaucoma surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
10.26
Total RVUs
22.78
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$760.87

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 66155 → · 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 66155 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 66155 covers

An ophthalmologist performs this operation to create a filtration pathway through the sclera, allowing aqueous fluid to drain and helping reduce intraocular pressure. The procedure includes removal of a portion of the iris. It is used for glaucoma when surgical pressure reduction is needed; the operative report should establish that the surgeon performed the filtration procedure with an iridectomy. It is typically performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting.

Report one unit for the operated eye when the documented procedure matches this service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. If other procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard reduction to the others. With modifier 50, the bilateral procedure 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 66155 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

66155 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$700.14
Alaska*Unavailable$945.32
ArizonaUnavailable$744.81
ArkansasUnavailable$692.49
AtlantaUnavailable$773.66
AustinUnavailable$781.10
BakersfieldUnavailable$794.19
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$801.37
BeaumontUnavailable$723.76
BrazoriaUnavailable$754.07

66155 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
66155 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 66155 rate is calculated

Each of 66155’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 · 66155

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 10.26Practice expense 11.70Malpractice 0.82

22.7800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$760.87

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 66155

66155 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 66155

Glaucoma surgery

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 · 66155

Glaucoma surgery

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

66155 without 50 · national facility

$760.87

Glaucoma surgery

66155-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,141.31

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

66155 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

66155 vs 66150 vs 66170 vs 66172 vs 66174: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 66155
    Glaucoma surgery · 10.26 wRVU
    —
  • 66150
    Glaucoma surgery · 10.27 wRVU
    —
  • 66170
    Trabeculectomy · 13.59 wRVU
    —
  • 66172
    Glaucoma surgery · 14.47 wRVU
    —
  • 66174
    Canaloplasty · 7.43 wRVU
    —

How to choose

66150Glaucoma surgery
Choose 66155 when the documented trabeculectomy includes an iridectomy; 66150 describes the version without one.
66170Trabeculectomy
This is a different trabeculectomy code specified for absence of previous ocular surgery or trauma. Select based on the procedure and circumstances documented, not the shared glaucoma indication.
66172Glaucoma surgery
This trabeculectomy code addresses scarring from previous ocular surgery or trauma, rather than distinguishing the service by inclusion of an iridectomy.
66174Canaloplasty
This dilates the aqueous outflow canal without a retention device; it is not a scleral filtration procedure with iridectomy.

Codes related to 66155

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

Codes related to 66155
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
66150Glaucoma surgeryTrabeculectomy without the iridectomy included in this code.No office rate
Used instead
66170TrabeculectomyTrabeculectomy option specified for cases without prior ocular surgery or trauma.No office rate
66172Glaucoma surgeryTrabeculectomy option for scarring from prior ocular surgery or trauma.No office rate
66174CanaloplastyLowers pressure by dilating the aqueous outflow canal without a retention device.No office rate
66175Canal dilationCanal dilation with a retention device is a different glaucoma treatment approach.No office rate
66180Glaucoma shuntUses an aqueous shunt with a graft rather than this filtration procedure.No office rate
66183Drainage devicePlaces an anterior segment drainage device rather than creating this filtration pathway.No office rate

66155 billing questions

How does this differ from 66150?

This code includes an iridectomy as part of the glaucoma filtration surgery. Code 66150 describes the corresponding procedure without an iridectomy.

What documentation supports this code?

The operative report should document the scleral filtration procedure and the iridectomy. A diagnosis of glaucoma alone does not establish that this specific operation was performed.

Is related postoperative care separately reported?

The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care and the day-before preoperative visit. Unrelated services are distinct from that included care.

How is bilateral surgery reported?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for this procedure. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple procedure reduction to the other procedures.

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 66155PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,364 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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