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Billing code 69552: Aural tumor excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Removal of an aural glomus tumor through a mastoid approach, reported when the operative route—not the transcanal or extended route—is transmastoid.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities28 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,428.89 for 69552 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 69552

Aural tumor excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
19.31
Total RVUs
42.78
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,428.89

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 69552 → · 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 69552 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 69552 covers

An otolaryngologist, often a neurotologist, uses an opening through the mastoid to reach and remove a vascular paraganglioma, or aural glomus tumor, involving the middle ear or adjacent temporal-bone region. The operation is performed in an operating room; the transmastoid route, rather than an ear-canal route, is the defining feature. The operative report should identify the tumor location and describe the exposure and excision.

Select this code when the documented operation uses a transmastoid approach; use the transcanal or extended-approach sibling when that is the route performed. Documentation of the lesion’s extent and the surgical exposure supports the code choice. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 69552 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

69552 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,301.80
Alaska*Unavailable$1,753.92
ArizonaUnavailable$1,393.95
ArkansasUnavailable$1,285.96
AtlantaUnavailable$1,460.79
AustinUnavailable$1,459.45
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,470.53
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,511.88
BeaumontUnavailable$1,360.13
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,407.12

69552 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
69552 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 69552 rate is calculated

Each of 69552’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 · 69552

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 19.31Practice expense 20.65Malpractice 2.82

42.7800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,428.89

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 69552

69552 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 69552

Aural tumor excision

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.07/0.79/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 69552

Aural tumor excision

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

69552 without 50 · national facility

$1,428.89

Aural tumor excision

69552-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,143.34

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

69552 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

69552 vs 69550 vs 69554 vs 69535: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 69552
    Aural tumor excision · 19.31 wRVU
    —
  • 69550
    Glomus tumor excision · 10.87 wRVU
    —
  • 69554
    Glomus tumor excision · 35.07 wRVU
    —
  • 69535
    Temporal bone surgery · 36.48 wRVU
    —

How to choose

69550Glomus tumor excision
Choose 69550 for the transcanal route. Choose 69552 when the surgeon reaches the tumor through a mastoid exposure.
69554Glomus tumor excision
Choose 69554 when the operative report identifies an extended approach; 69552 describes the transmastoid approach.
69535Temporal bone surgery
This code describes partial temporal-bone removal. It is a different procedure from excision of an aural glomus tumor through a transmastoid approach.

Codes related to 69552

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

Codes related to 69552
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
69550Glomus tumor excisionSibling code for aural glomus tumor excision using a transcanal approach.No office rate
69554Glomus tumor excisionSibling code for aural glomus tumor excision using an extended approach.No office rate
Used instead
69535Temporal bone surgeryConsider when the documented operation is partial temporal-bone resection rather than transmastoid tumor excision.No office rate

69552 billing questions

How does this code differ from 69550?

The approach determines the choice: 69552 is for a transmastoid route, while 69550 is for a transcanal route. The operative report should make the actual exposure clear.

When would 69554 be considered instead?

Use 69554 when the operation is documented as using an extended approach rather than the transmastoid approach represented by 69552.

What documentation supports reporting 69552?

Document the aural glomus tumor’s location, the transmastoid exposure, and the excision performed. The operative description should distinguish this route from a transcanal or extended approach.

How is bilateral surgery reported?

For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 applies; 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 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.

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 69552PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,617 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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