Billing code 65235: Intraocular removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports surgical removal of a foreign body located inside the eye’s anterior chamber, rather than a superficial or embedded external-eye object.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 65235 in Guam.
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 65235 covers
An ophthalmologist uses this code for surgical extraction of a foreign body from the eye’s anterior chamber. The object is inside the globe, distinguishing this service from removal of material on the conjunctiva or cornea. The procedure is generally performed in an operating-room setting when an intraocular object requires surgical access; the operative report should identify its anterior-chamber location and describe the extraction.
Select the code based on the object’s documented location, not simply the fact that it entered through an eye injury. Record the approach and removal details, along with any related injury and treatment. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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.
65235 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $669.29 |
How the 65235 rate is calculated
Each of 65235’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 · 65235
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.78
8.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.54
9.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.71
0.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.0300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$635.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65235
65235 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65235
Intraocular 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 65235
Intraocular 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
65235 without 50 · national facility
$635.62
Intraocular removal
65235-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$953.43
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).
65235 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 65260Eye foreign body removal
- Use 65260 for a foreign body in the posterior segment removed by magnetic extraction. This code is for an object in the anterior chamber.
- 65265Eye foreign body removal
- Use 65265 for nonmagnetic extraction of a posterior-segment foreign body. An anterior-chamber location supports this code instead.
- 65222Corneal removal
- Code 65222 is for corneal foreign-body removal with slit-lamp assistance. It does not describe extraction of an object from inside the anterior chamber.
- 65210Eye foreign body removal
- Code 65210 addresses an embedded external-eye foreign body, not an object within the anterior chamber.
65235 billing questions
How does this differ from codes for corneal foreign-body removal?
Use this code when the foreign body is inside the anterior chamber. Codes 65220 and 65222 describe corneal foreign bodies, not an object within the globe.
How does this differ from 65260 and 65265?
Those codes are for foreign-body extraction from the posterior segment. This code is for an object in the anterior chamber.
Can this be reported for a foreign body embedded in the conjunctiva?
No. Code 65210 is the relevant option for an embedded conjunctival or other specified external-eye foreign body; this code requires an intraocular anterior-chamber location.
How is bilateral removal reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure. When modifier 50 is used, payment is 150% under the stated Medicare rule.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules provided.
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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