Billing code 68530: Tear duct clearanceMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Removal of obstructing material from the lacrimal drainage duct, reported when a tear duct concretion or similar blockage is cleared.
Medicare pays $509.37 for 68530 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 68530 covers
This procedure clears obstructing material, such as a dacryolith, from the lacrimal drainage duct. Ophthalmologists, including oculoplastic surgeons, perform it for patients with tear drainage blockage that may cause persistent tearing or recurrent inflammation. The service concerns removal of the obstruction, rather than simple probing or placement of a drainage tube.
Report the code when the operative record supports actual clearance of obstructing material from the duct; document the site and what was removed. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
68530 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $509.37 | $274.24 |
How the 68530 rate is calculated
Each of 68530’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 · 68530
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.61Practice expense 9.09Malpractice 0.28
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 68530
68530 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 68530
Tear duct clearance
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 68530
Tear duct clearance
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
68530 without 50 · national office
$433.54
Tear duct clearance
68530-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$650.31
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).
68530 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
68530 vs 68810 vs 68815 vs 68720: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 68810Tear duct probing
- Choose 68530 for removal of obstructing material. Choose 68810 when the documented service is probing the nasolacrimal duct, with or without irrigation.
- 68815Duct probing
- Code 68815 describes probing with tube or stent insertion. It differs from 68530, which represents clearance of obstruction rather than duct intubation.
- 68720Tear drainage surgery
- Code 68720 creates a new drainage route between the lacrimal sac and nose. Code 68530 clears material from the existing duct.
68530 billing questions
When is this code more appropriate than probing the nasolacrimal duct?
Use 68530 when the service clears obstructing material from the lacrimal duct. Probing under 68810 describes probing, with or without irrigation, rather than removal of a concretion.
Does placing a lacrimal tube change the code choice?
When probing includes insertion of a tube or stent, compare the service with 68815. The operative documentation should show whether the work was obstruction removal or probing with intubation.
How should bilateral treatment be reported?
For bilateral performance, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and 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 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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