No office rate
66150 uses scleral trephination with peripheral iris removal; 66155 uses thermocauterization for the glaucoma fistulization.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
66150 Glaucoma surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports glaucoma filtration surgery using a trephine to create a scleral opening with peripheral iris removal to support aqueous outflow. Compare 66150 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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.
What does Medicare pay for 66150 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$700.47
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Glaucoma surgery
About 66150: Scleral trephination glaucoma filtration surgery
Reports glaucoma filtration surgery using a trephine to create a scleral opening with peripheral iris removal to support aqueous outflow.
An ophthalmologist performs this filtration operation by using a trephine to create a small opening through the sclera and removing a portion of peripheral iris. The opening provides a route for aqueous humor to leave the anterior chamber and collect beneath the conjunctiva. The code is specific to this trephination technique, rather than glaucoma surgery generally, and is selected from the operative work documented by the surgeon.
The operative report should identify the trephination and iris removal, the treated eye, and any other procedures performed in the same session. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 66150
- 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 paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU10.27 · 45%
- Practice expense (office) RVU11.70 · 51%
- Malpractice RVU0.82 · 4%
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.
66150 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
66150 describes trephination with iridectomy. Use 66170 for trabeculectomy ab externo when prior ocular surgery or trauma has not produced the specified scarring circumstance.
No office rate
66172 is for trabeculectomy ab externo with scarring from prior ocular surgery or trauma; 66150 is selected for the trephination technique.
Compare 66150 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$700.47
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 66150 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,363
- Code
- 66150
- Physician work
- 10.27
- Practice expense
- 11.70
- Malpractice
- 0.82
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 10.27 | × 1.000 | 10.2700 |
| Practice expense | 11.70 | × 0.875 | 10.2375 |
| Malpractice | 0.82 | × 0.566 | 0.4641 |
| Total RVUs | 20.9716 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$700.47
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 10.27 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 11.7 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.82 | 0.566 |
(10.27 × 1 + 11.7 × 0.875 + 0.82 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $700.47
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.
66150 billing questions
How is 66150 distinguished from trabeculectomy?
Use 66150 when the documented filtration operation uses scleral trephination with peripheral iris removal. A trabeculectomy is reported with the code matching its technique and prior-surgery circumstances.
What operative details support 66150?
The report should identify the trephine-created scleral opening and peripheral iridectomy, along with the treated eye and any other procedures performed.
How is bilateral surgery reported under the CMS fee schedule?
Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code.
Are assistant surgeons or co-surgeons payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons are payable only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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.
7,36066020,,Injection treatment of eye,A,,1.60,4.16,,1.68,,0.13,5.89,3.41,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36166030,,Injection treatment of eye,A,,1.27,3.93,,1.56,,0.09,5.29,2.92,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36266130,,Remove eye lesion,A,,7.63,12.90,,6.02,,0.62,21.15,14.27,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36366150,,Glaucoma surgery,A,,10.27,11.70,NA,11.70,,0.82,22.79,22.79,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36466155,,Glaucoma surgery,A,,10.26,11.70,NA,11.70,,0.82,22.78,22.78,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36566160,,Glaucoma surgery,A,,12.08,12.34,NA,12.34,,0.98,25.40,25.40,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,36666170,,Glaucoma surgery,A,,13.59,13.41,NA,13.41,,1.09,28.09,28.09,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515