Billing code 65770: KeratoprosthesisMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports surgical placement of an artificial corneal device, often for severe corneal disease when donor-tissue transplantation is unsuitable or has failed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 65770 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 65770 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon places an artificial optical device in the cornea to restore a usable visual pathway when severe corneal damage prevents vision. This approach may be considered for patients with advanced corneal disease, including cases in which prior corneal grafts have failed or a conventional donor-tissue graft is not a suitable option. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room rather than an office setting.
Report the service when the operative record supports implantation of a keratoprosthesis, not a donor-cornea transplant or a procedure limited to the ocular surface. The code has a 90-day global period that 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%. For bilateral surgery, 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.
65770 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,227.78 |
How the 65770 rate is calculated
Each of 65770’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 · 65770
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 19.25Practice expense 14.62Malpractice 1.53
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65770
65770 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65770
Keratoprosthesis
| 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 · 65770
Keratoprosthesis
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
65770 without 50 · national facility
$1,182.39
Keratoprosthesis
65770-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,773.59
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).
65770 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
65770 vs 65710 vs 65730 vs 65755 vs 65756: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 65710Corneal transplant
- Use 65770 for an artificial corneal device. Code 65710 represents a donor-tissue corneal transplant; choose based on what the surgeon implanted.
- 65730Corneal transplant
- Code 65730 is a corneal transplant using donor tissue. Code 65770 is appropriate when the documented operation implants a keratoprosthesis.
- 65755Corneal transplant
- Both address corneal replacement, but 65755 is a donor-tissue transplant code and 65770 represents an artificial corneal device.
- 65756Corneal transplant
- Code 65756 describes endothelial keratoplasty using donor tissue. Use 65770 when the operative service is implantation of an artificial corneal device.
65770 billing questions
How is this different from a corneal transplant code?
This code represents implantation of an artificial corneal device. Corneal transplant codes represent procedures using donor corneal tissue, with the applicable code selected according to the transplant technique and clinical details.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral surgery. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid for this procedure. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify implantation of an artificial corneal device and document the procedure performed. A record describing only a donor-tissue graft or ocular-surface treatment does not establish this service.
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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