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Billing code 68700: Canaliculus repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Repair of a damaged tear drainage canaliculus, commonly after trauma near the inner eyelid, to restore continuity of the drainage channel.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3.1K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $516.38 for 68700 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 68700

Canaliculus repair

Work RVUs
7.67
Total RVUs
15.46
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$516.38

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 68700 →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 68700 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 68700 covers

This procedure repairs a canaliculus, the small channel that carries tears from an eyelid opening toward the tear sac. Ophthalmologists, often oculoplastic surgeons, commonly perform it for a canalicular laceration near the inner corner of the eye, such as one caused by facial trauma. The repair may use fine sutures and a temporary stent to align and support the channel while it heals.

Report the service when the operative work repairs the canaliculus itself, not merely the eyelid opening or the tear sac. Documentation should identify the affected canaliculus, the injury or defect, laterality, and the repair performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and 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 68700 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

68700 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$477.45
Alaska*Unavailable$650.74
ArizonaUnavailable$505.97
ArkansasUnavailable$472.57
AtlantaUnavailable$525.14
AustinUnavailable$528.42
BakersfieldUnavailable$536.14
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$542.87
BeaumontUnavailable$493.35
BrazoriaUnavailable$511.72

68700 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
68700 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 68700 rate is calculated

Each of 68700’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 · 68700

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work7.67

7.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.17

7.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.62

0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

15.4600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$516.38

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 68700

68700 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 68700

Canaliculus repair

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 · 68700

Canaliculus repair

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

68700 without 50 · national facility

$516.38

Canaliculus repair

68700-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$774.57

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

68700 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 68700

    Canaliculus repair7.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 68705

    Punctum revision2.06 wRVU

    $259.86

  • 68720

    Tear drainage surgery9.71 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 68745

    Tear duct bypass9.65 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

68705Punctum revision
Choose 68700 for repair of the canalicular channel, commonly after trauma. Choose 68705 when the operative target is an everted punctum.
68720Tear drainage surgery
68700 repairs a damaged canaliculus. 68720 creates a drainage connection from the tear sac to the nose.
68745Tear duct bypass
68700 repairs the existing canalicular channel; 68745 establishes a different route for tears through a conjunctival connection.

Codes related to 68700

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

Codes related to 68700
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
68705Punctum revisionRelated lacrimal surgery code for correcting an everted punctum rather than repairing a canaliculus.$230.97–$346.73
68720Tear drainage surgeryLacrimal drainage surgery that creates a passage from the tear sac to the nose.No office rate
68745Tear duct bypassLacrimal drainage surgery that establishes a conjunctival route for tear drainage.No office rate

68700 billing questions

When should 68700 be chosen over 68705?

Use 68700 for repair of the tear-drainage canaliculus itself, such as after a laceration. Code 68705 addresses correction of an everted punctum rather than repair of a canalicular injury.

Is repair of an associated eyelid wound included?

The canalicular repair describes work on the tear channel. Document any separate eyelid repair distinctly so the services can be evaluated based on the work performed.

What documentation supports 68700?

Record the canaliculus involved, laterality, cause and extent of the defect, and the repair technique. Include whether a stent was used when applicable.

How is bilateral canalicular repair reported?

CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the repair on each side.

Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be billed?

CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for this code and does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.

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

Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.

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 68700PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,563 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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