Billing code 65260: Eye foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Removal of an intraocular foreign body from the eye’s posterior segment using magnetic extraction, typically after penetrating trauma involving a metallic fragment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 65260 in Georgia.
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 65260 covers
An ophthalmologist reports this service when an intraocular foreign body in the posterior segment is retrieved by magnetic extraction. A typical clinical situation is a metallic fragment that has entered the vitreous cavity or lodged near the retina after a penetrating eye injury. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, with the operative report documenting the foreign body’s location and the magnetic retrieval method.
Select this code based on posterior-segment location and magnetic extraction, rather than simply on the presence of an eye foreign body. The record should distinguish the object from material in the cornea, conjunctiva, anterior chamber, or lens and describe the removal performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures 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%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
Where 65260 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $854.28 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $803.35 |
How the 65260 rate is calculated
Each of 65260’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 · 65260
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.23
12.23 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.93
11.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.99
0.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.1500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$840.03
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65260
65260 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65260
Eye foreign body removal
| 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) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 65260
Eye foreign body removal
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
65260 without 50 · national facility
$840.03
Eye foreign body removal
65260-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,260.05
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).
65260 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 65265Eye foreign body removal
- Both codes address posterior-segment foreign body removal; 65260 is selected for magnetic extraction, while 65265 is for nonmagnetic extraction.
- 65235Intraocular removal
- 65235 is for an object in the anterior chamber or lens. 65260 is for a posterior-segment object removed magnetically.
- 65222Corneal removal
- 65222 concerns a corneal foreign body removed with slit-lamp magnification, not an intraocular object in the posterior segment.
- 65205Eye foreign body removal
- 65205 is for a superficial conjunctival foreign body; 65260 requires posterior-segment intraocular removal by magnetic extraction.
65260 billing questions
How does 65260 differ from 65265?
Both concern a foreign body in the posterior segment. Use 65260 when magnetic extraction is performed; 65265 is the neighboring code for nonmagnetic extraction.
When is 65235 a better fit?
65235 describes removal from the anterior chamber or lens. Use 65260 for posterior-segment removal by magnetic extraction.
Does a metallic foreign body automatically support 65260?
No. The documentation should establish that the object is in the posterior segment and that magnetic extraction was used.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
CMS indicates that an assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule provided 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
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