$276.22
Choose 68700 for repair of the canalicular channel, commonly after trauma. Choose 68705 when the operative target is an everted punctum.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
68700 in El Centro
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$534.22
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.
Ophthalmic surgery
About 68700: Lacrimal canaliculus repair
Repair of a damaged tear drainage canaliculus, commonly after trauma near the inner eyelid, to restore continuity of the drainage channel.
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.
CMS billing rules for 68700
- 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 RVU7.67 · 50%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.17 · 46%
- Malpractice RVU0.62 · 4%
3.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2145 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.
68700 compared with similar codes
Office rates for El Centro, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
68700 repairs a damaged canaliculus. 68720 creates a drainage connection from the tear sac to the nose.
No office rate
68700 repairs the existing canalicular channel; 68745 establishes a different route for tears through a conjunctival connection.
The same code, a different location
How does El Centro compare?
68700 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
El Centro · 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 · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$598.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$559.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$555.03
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$552.79
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$561.52
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$627.70
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$627.00
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$640.80
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$637.92
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$544.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$563.64
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$553.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$569.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$597.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$575.18
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$557.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$583.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$650.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$472.57
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$505.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$530.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$544.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$512.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$536.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$516.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$525.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$494.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$483.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$486.31
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$518.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$507.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$488.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$483.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$488.03
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$505.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$487.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$571.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$528.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$542.87
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$520.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$489.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$506.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$522.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$498.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$508.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$501.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$504.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$482.79
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$516.34
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$492.86
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$504.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$485.06
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$523.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$572.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$550.67
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$500.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$513.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$595.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$555.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$585.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$498.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$495.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$486.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$541.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$495.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$518.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$526.91
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$495.07
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$502.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$485.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$528.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$493.35
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$511.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$514.79
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$512.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$513.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$524.54
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$502.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$499.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$506.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$518.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$503.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$527.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$579.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$491.99
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$493.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 68700
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$510.99
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
68700 · 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?
El Centro is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 18 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 68700 in El Centro. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$587.64
$534.22 × 110% = $587.64
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 68700 in El Centro.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,563
- Code
- 68700
- Physician work
- 7.67
- Practice expense
- 7.17
- Malpractice
- 0.62
GPCI2026.csv
10
- Locality
- El Centro
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.541
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.67 | × 1.017 | 7.8004 |
| Practice expense | 7.17 | × 1.096 | 7.8583 |
| Malpractice | 0.62 | × 0.541 | 0.3354 |
| Total RVUs | 15.9941 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, El Centro$534.22
Open 68700 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.67 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 7.17 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 0.62 | 0.541 |
(7.67 × 1.017 + 7.17 × 1.096 + 0.62 × 0.541) × $33.4009 = $534.22
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
68700 · 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 | $534.22 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $534.22 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $534.22 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $534.22 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $603.14 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $603.14 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $603.14 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $603.14 | RVU25A |
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 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.
7,56068530,,Clearance of tear duct,A,,3.61,9.09,,2.48,,0.28,12.98,6.37,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56168540,,Remove tear gland lesion,A,,11.88,12.54,NA,12.54,,0.95,25.37,25.37,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56268550,,Remove tear gland lesion,A,,14.78,15.57,NA,15.57,,1.19,31.54,31.54,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56368700,,Repair tear ducts,A,,7.67,7.17,NA,7.17,,0.62,15.46,15.46,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56468705,,Revise tear duct opening,A,,2.06,5.55,,2.06,,0.17,7.78,4.29,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56568720,,Create tear sac drain,A,,9.71,10.51,NA,10.51,,0.82,21.04,21.04,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,56668745,,Create tear duct drain,A,,9.65,10.71,NA,10.71,,0.78,21.14,21.14,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664