Billing code 65710: Corneal transplantMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports a partial-thickness corneal transplant that replaces diseased corneal layers while retaining healthy host layers, rather than replacing the full cornea.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 65710 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 65710 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon performs a lamellar corneal transplant to replace diseased corneal tissue while preserving healthy layers of the patient’s cornea. The graft is partial thickness, distinguishing this operation from a full-thickness penetrating transplant. It is generally performed in an operating room, with the surgeon documenting the corneal condition and the layers replaced.
Select this code when the operative report supports a lamellar transplant; use the applicable penetrating or endothelial transplant code when the documented technique is different. The 90-day global period includes 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 the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
65710 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,232.20 |
How the 65710 rate is calculated
Each of 65710’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 · 65710
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 14.09Practice expense 14.21Malpractice 1.13
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65710
65710 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65710
Corneal transplant
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 65710
Corneal transplant
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
65710 without 50 · national facility
$982.99
Corneal transplant
65710-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,474.49
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).
65710 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
65710 vs 65730 vs 65755 vs 65756: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 65730Corneal transplant
- Use 65710 for a partial-thickness lamellar graft. Use 65730 for a full-thickness penetrating graft when the eye is not aphakic.
- 65755Corneal transplant
- Both are corneal transplants, but 65755 describes a penetrating graft in a pseudophakic eye; 65710 is selected for a lamellar technique.
- 65756Corneal transplant
- 65756 is for an endothelial transplant technique. Choose 65710 when the documented procedure is a lamellar transplant rather than an endothelial graft.
65710 billing questions
How does this differ from a penetrating corneal transplant?
This code is for a partial-thickness lamellar graft that preserves healthy host layers. A penetrating transplant replaces the full thickness of the cornea and is reported with the code matching the patient’s lens status.
What documentation supports selecting the lamellar code?
The operative report should describe the transplant technique and identify the corneal tissue layers replaced and retained. A diagnosis alone does not establish that the procedure was lamellar.
Are related postoperative visits separately included?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit. The global period does not include unrelated services.
How is the code reported when both eyes are treated?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 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
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