$202.82
69420 is a limited eardrum incision, commonly for drainage. Choose 69440 when the surgeon performs surgical inspection of the middle-ear space.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
69440 in Chico
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$643.59
Base rate per service
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
Otolaryngology surgery
About 69440: Middle ear surgical exploration
Reports surgical inspection of middle-ear structures through a tympanotomy, often to investigate unexplained conductive hearing loss or suspected ossicular abnormality.
An otolaryngologist opens the tympanic membrane to inspect the middle-ear space and structures such as the ossicles. The procedure may be used when symptoms or examination findings, including unexplained conductive hearing loss or suspected ossicular abnormality, warrant direct surgical evaluation. It is generally performed in an operating room under anesthesia; it is more extensive than an eardrum incision for drainage or ventilation.
Report 69440 when the operative record supports middle-ear exploration, rather than a limited myringotomy or a tympanoplasty performed to reconstruct the tympanic membrane. Documentation should describe the indication, surgical approach, structures inspected, and any additional procedure performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral performance and is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 69440
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU7.52 · 40%
- Practice expense (office) RVU10.06 · 54%
- Malpractice RVU1.11 · 6%
243
Medicare services in 2024 · #4158 by national volume
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.
69440 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Chico, from the same CMS release.
$213.88
69433 represents tympanostomy with tube placement under its specified circumstances. It does not describe exploratory inspection of middle-ear structures.
No office rate
69631 describes tympanic membrane reconstruction without ossicular chain reconstruction. Use it for the reconstructive service rather than exploration alone.
No office rate
69632 describes tympanoplasty with ossicular chain reconstruction. It is distinguished from 69440 by the reconstructive work performed.
The same code, a different location
How does Chico compare?
69440 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Chico · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Merced
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$728.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$678.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$655.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$670.87
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$668.27
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$680.68
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$765.83
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$764.57
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$783.21
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$778.05
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$658.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$684.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$669.87
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$691.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$726.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$643.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$701.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$694.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$675.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$716.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$755.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$566.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$558.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$608.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$640.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$662.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$617.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$658.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$628.13
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$637.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$595.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$654.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$573.35
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$577.84
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$634.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$615.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$663.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$580.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$573.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$583.81
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$609.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$584.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$695.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$638.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$661.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$627.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$583.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$607.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$637.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$599.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$607.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$602.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$608.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$576.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$567.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$624.19
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$588.37
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$602.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$575.33
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$633.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$696.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$668.82
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$603.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$618.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$735.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$675.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$717.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$596.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$595.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$580.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$656.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$611.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$649.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$594.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$627.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$636.12
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$593.16
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$599.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$576.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$640.03
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$591.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$615.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$619.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$617.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$617.54
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$637.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$603.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$600.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$607.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$627.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$602.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$636.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$706.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$584.49
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$596.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 69440
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$614.62
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
69440 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Where does this rate apply?
Chico is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 30 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 69440 in Chico. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$707.95
$643.59 × 110% = $707.95
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 69440 in Chico.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,607
- Code
- 69440
- Physician work
- 7.52
- Practice expense
- 10.06
- Malpractice
- 1.11
GPCI2026.csv
9
- Locality
- Chico
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.536
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.52 | × 1.017 | 7.6478 |
| Practice expense | 10.06 | × 1.096 | 11.0258 |
| Malpractice | 1.11 | × 0.536 | 0.5950 |
| Total RVUs | 19.2686 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Chico$643.59
Open 69440 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.52 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 10.06 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 1.11 | 0.536 |
(7.52 × 1.017 + 10.06 × 1.096 + 1.11 × 0.536) × $33.4009 = $643.59
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
69440 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $643.59 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $643.59 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $643.59 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $643.59 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $693.18 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $693.18 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $693.18 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $693.18 | RVU25A |
69440 billing questions
How is 69440 different from a myringotomy?
69440 describes surgical inspection of the middle ear through a tympanotomy. A myringotomy is a limited eardrum incision, commonly for drainage or ventilation.
Can a tympanostomy tube be reported with 69440?
A tube procedure addresses middle-ear ventilation, while 69440 represents surgical exploration. The operative documentation must support each service, and same-session payment is subject to the multiple procedure reduction.
What documentation supports 69440?
Document the reason for exploration, the approach, and the middle-ear structures inspected. The record should distinguish exploration from a limited incision or a reconstructive tympanoplasty.
What global period applies?
69440 has a 90-day global period. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
How is bilateral performance reported?
Use modifier 50 for bilateral performance; CMS pays the procedure at 150% under the supplied fee schedule rule.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 69440. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
7,60469424,,Remove ventilating tube,A,,0.83,2.98,,0.74,,0.09,3.90,1.66,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,60569433,,Create eardrum opening,A,,1.53,4.32,,1.84,,0.21,6.06,3.58,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,60669436,,Create eardrum opening,A,,1.96,2.09,NA,2.09,,0.28,4.33,4.33,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,60769440,,Exploration of middle ear,A,,7.52,10.06,NA,10.06,,1.11,18.69,18.69,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,60869450,,Eardrum revision,A,,5.55,8.52,NA,8.52,,0.81,14.88,14.88,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,60969501,,Mastoidectomy,A,,8.98,8.74,NA,8.74,,1.31,19.03,19.03,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,61069502,,Mastoidectomy,A,,12.25,11.11,NA,11.11,,1.80,25.16,25.16,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541
1101112,CA,56,FRESNO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536