No office rate
66984 is for routine cataract removal with lens implantation. Choose 66982 when the documented operation requires an additional device or technique beyond routine surgery.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
66982 Cataract surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports complex cataract removal with intraocular lens implantation when nonroutine devices or techniques are needed, without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation. Compare 66982 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 66982 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
$585.34
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.
Ophthalmology surgery
About 66982: Complex cataract removal with lens implant
Reports complex cataract removal with intraocular lens implantation when nonroutine devices or techniques are needed, without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation.
An ophthalmic surgeon removes the cataract and places an intraocular lens during the same operation. This level is for cases requiring a device or technique beyond routine cataract surgery, such as an iris expansion device for a small pupil, support for an unstable lens capsule, or a primary posterior capsulorrhexis. The operative note should identify the specific challenge and what additional method or device was required; a difficult case alone does not establish the complex service.
Report this code for the complex operation without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP). The lens implant is part of the one-stage service, rather than a separate insertion procedure. 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 the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 66982
- 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 RVU9.99 · 53%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.10 · 43%
- Malpractice RVU0.79 · 4%
530K
Medicare services in 2024 · #222 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.
66982 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
66987
No office rateXcapsl ctrc rmvl cplx w/ecp
66987 describes complex cataract surgery performed with ECP. This code is for the complex cataract operation without ECP.
No office rate
66989 combines complex cataract removal and lens implantation with insertion of an aqueous drainage device. This code does not describe that combined drainage-device service.
No office rate
66985 reports insertion of a lens prosthesis as a separate procedure. In 66982, lens implantation occurs as part of the same cataract operation.
Compare 66982 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
$585.34
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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 66982 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,405
- Code
- 66982
- Physician work
- 9.99
- Practice expense
- 8.10
- Malpractice
- 0.79
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 9.99 | × 1.000 | 9.9900 |
| Practice expense | 8.10 | × 0.875 | 7.0875 |
| Malpractice | 0.79 | × 0.566 | 0.4471 |
| Total RVUs | 17.5246 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$585.34
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 9.99 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.1 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.79 | 0.566 |
(9.99 × 1 + 8.1 × 0.875 + 0.79 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $585.34
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.
66982 billing questions
How does this differ from routine cataract surgery?
Use this code when the operation requires a nonroutine device or technique, such as mechanical pupil expansion or support for an unstable capsule. Routine cataract removal with lens implantation is reported with 66984.
Is the intraocular lens billed separately?
No. Implantation of the lens during the same operation is included in this one-stage cataract service.
What documentation supports the complex level?
Document the specific condition affecting the operation and the additional device or technique used. For example, state why pupil expansion was needed and identify the expansion device used.
Can this code be used when ECP is performed?
This code describes complex cataract surgery without ECP. When ECP accompanies cataract surgery, compare the combined-service codes, including 66987.
How is bilateral surgery handled?
CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 at 150%. The 90-day global period applies to the surgical service and 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.
7,40266920,,Extraction of lens,A,,9.88,8.34,NA,8.34,,0.79,19.01,19.01,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,0,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40366930,,Extraction of lens,A,,11.32,9.51,NA,9.51,,0.91,21.74,21.74,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40466940,,Extraction of lens,A,,10.11,9.08,NA,9.08,,0.81,20.00,20.00,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,0,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40566982,,Xcapsl ctrc rmvl cplx wo ecp,A,,9.99,8.10,NA,8.10,,0.79,18.88,18.88,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40666983,,Cataract surg w/iol 1 stage,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40766984,,Xcapsl ctrc rmvl w/o ecp,A,,7.17,6.14,NA,6.14,,0.54,13.85,13.85,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,40866985,,Insert lens prosthesis,A,,9.73,9.20,NA,9.20,,0.79,19.72,19.72,0,090,0.10,0.70,0.20,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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