Billing code 68760: Punctal closureMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $219.44 for 68760 nationally in the office and $127.59 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $195.09–$292.91.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 68760 covers

An ophthalmologist, often an oculoplastic specialist, closes a lacrimal punctum to slow tear drainage and retain tears on the eye. This is commonly considered for patients with dry eye when punctal occlusion is needed and a plug is not the selected method. The clinician may use cautery, ligation, or another closure technique, typically in an office setting.

Report this code for punctal closure by a method other than a plug; the plug method is represented separately. Document the treated punctum or side, the technique, and the clinical reason for reducing tear drainage. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the 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 68760 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

68760 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 68760 rate is calculated

Each of 68760’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 68760

68760 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

68760 compared with similar codes

How to choose

68761Punctal occlusion

Choose 68760 for closure by cautery, ligation, or another non-plug method. Choose 68761 when a plug is used; that code is reported per punctum.

68705Punctum revision

Both may reduce tear drainage, but 68760 specifically closes the punctum. Code 68705 describes a different procedure for correcting excessive tearing.

68770Lacrimal fistula closure

Code 68770 closes a lacrimal fistula. Code 68760 is for closure of the lacrimal punctum, not a fistulous opening.

68700Canaliculus repair

Code 68700 repairs the lacrimal canaliculus. It is not the code for occluding the punctum to retain tears.

Codes related to 68760

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates