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Billing code 66850: Lens removalMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of crystalline lens material through a pars plana approach, commonly for retained or dropped fragments after complicated cataract surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.7K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $670.02 for 66850 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 66850

Lens removal

Work RVUs
10.29
Total RVUs
20.06
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$670.02

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 66850 →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 66850 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 66850 covers

An ophthalmologist, often a vitreoretinal surgeon, removes crystalline lens material through a pars plana approach. A common setting is surgery to retrieve lens fragments that have moved into the vitreous after a complicated cataract extraction; trauma may also leave lens material requiring surgical removal. The operative report should identify the material removed and the surgical approach, and clarify whether vitrectomy was performed so the service can be distinguished from the related code for lens removal with vitrectomy.

This major surgery carries a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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 66850 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

66850 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$620.77
Alaska*Unavailable$849.00
ArizonaUnavailable$656.81
ArkansasUnavailable$614.59
AtlantaUnavailable$681.34
AustinUnavailable$684.93
BakersfieldUnavailable$694.54
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$703.83
BeaumontUnavailable$641.17
BrazoriaUnavailable$664.06

66850 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
66850 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 66850 rate is calculated

Each of 66850’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 · 66850

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work10.29

10.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.95

8.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.82

0.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

20.0600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$670.02

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 66850

66850 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 66850

Lens removal

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 · 66850

Lens removal

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

66850 without 50 · national facility

$670.02

Lens removal

66850-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,005.03

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

66850 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 66850

    Lens removal10.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66840

    Lens aspiration8.95 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66852

    Lens removal11.12 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66830

    Lens lesion removal9.23 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 66821

    YAG laser capsulotomy3.33 wRVU

    $335.35

How to choose

66840Lens aspiration
Choose 66840 for lens-material removal by aspiration technique. Choose 66850 when the surgeon uses a pars plana approach.
66852Lens removal
Both involve pars plana lens-material removal; 66852 is the related code when vitrectomy is performed.
66830Lens lesion removal
66830 addresses removal of a secondary lens membrane, not retained or dropped crystalline lens material.
66821YAG laser capsulotomy
66821 is laser treatment for an after-cataract. It does not describe surgical removal of crystalline lens material.

Codes related to 66850

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

Codes related to 66850
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
66840Lens aspirationRemoves lens material by aspiration rather than through a pars plana approach.No office rate
Same family
66852Lens removalPars plana lens-material removal when vitrectomy is performed.No office rate

66850 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 66840?

This code identifies removal through a pars plana approach. Code 66840 describes removal using an aspiration technique, so the operative approach and method guide selection.

When is 66852 used instead?

Use 66852 when the pars plana lens-material removal is performed with vitrectomy. The operative report should support the vitrectomy service.

Does the 90-day global include postoperative care?

Yes. Related postoperative care during the 90-day period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.

How does CMS handle bilateral reporting?

When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code under the listed CMS rules.

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 66850PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,400 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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