Billing code 69550: Glomus tumor excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports removal of an aural glomus tumor through the ear canal when the surgeon uses a transcanal approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69550 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 69550 covers
This service covers surgical removal of an aural glomus tumor through the external auditory canal. These vascular tumors commonly arise in the middle ear, where they may appear as a reddish mass behind the tympanic membrane. An otolaryngologist, often an otologist or neurotologist, performs the operation in a surgical setting. The operative approach matters: this code identifies transcanal excision, not a transtemporal or extended approach.
Select the code from the documented tumor excision and surgical approach, not simply the tumor’s location or diagnosis. The operative report should support the glomus tumor, the transcanal route, and the work performed. 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 others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
69550 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,173.42 |
How the 69550 rate is calculated
Each of 69550’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 · 69550
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.87
10.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense16.86
16.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.58
1.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
29.3100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$978.98
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69550
69550 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69550
Glomus tumor excision
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69550
Glomus tumor excision
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
69550 without 50 · national facility
$978.98
Glomus tumor excision
69550-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,468.47
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).
69550 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69552Aural tumor excision
- This code is for transcanal excision; 69552 is selected when the operative report documents a transtemporal approach.
- 69554Glomus tumor excision
- 69554 represents an extended approach to aural glomus tumor excision, rather than the transcanal approach described here.
- 69540Aural polyp
- 69540 describes excision of an aural polyp. This code is for excision of a diagnosed aural glomus tumor through the ear canal.
69550 billing questions
How does this differ from 69552?
69550 is for transcanal excision. Use 69552 when the operative report documents a transtemporal approach.
How does this differ from 69554?
69554 identifies an extended approach. The documented surgical approach, rather than tumor diagnosis alone, distinguishes it from this transcanal service.
Can a separately removed aural polyp be reported with this code?
Aural polyp excision is described by 69540, not by this glomus tumor code. The record should establish what lesion was removed and the work performed.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can the surgeon report bilateral work with modifier 50?
Yes. CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
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
Fee sheets
Put 69550 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →