Billing code 67115: Buckle releaseMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Release of a previously placed retinal encircling buckle is reported when the band must be loosened to relieve clinically significant restriction or compression.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 67115 in Illinois.
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 67115 covers
An ophthalmologist, usually a vitreoretinal surgeon, surgically loosens or cuts previously implanted encircling material around the eye. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room when the existing band is causing clinically significant restriction or compression. It addresses material already in place; it is distinct from placing a buckle during retinal detachment repair and from removing an implant entirely.
Report the service when the operative note supports release of encircling material, including its location, the reason for release, and the work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which 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 is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not 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 67115 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $455.02 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $430.73 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $422.13 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $451.59 |
How the 67115 rate is calculated
Each of 67115’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 · 67115
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.96
5.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.51
6.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.47
0.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.9400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$432.21
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 67115
67115 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 67115
Buckle release
| 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) | 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) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 67115
Buckle release
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
67115 without 50 · national facility
$432.21
Buckle release
67115-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$648.32
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).
67115 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 67120Implant removal
- This code describes removal of extraocular implanted material. Choose 67115 when the encircling material is released rather than removed.
- 67121Implant removal
- This code describes removal of intraocular implanted material. Choose 67115 for release of encircling material around the eye.
- 67107Retinal detachment repair
- 67107 repairs a retinal detachment using scleral buckling. 67115 addresses release of previously placed encircling material.
- 67108Retinal detachment repair
- 67108 repairs a retinal detachment with vitrectomy. 67115 describes release of existing encircling material, not the retinal repair itself.
67115 billing questions
When is release reported instead of buckle removal?
Report release when previously placed encircling material is loosened or cut to relieve a problem. Use a removal code when the implanted material is removed rather than released.
What documentation supports this service?
Document the encircling material and its location, the clinical reason for releasing it, and the operative steps that loosened or cut it.
Can this be reported with retinal detachment repair?
It may be reported in the same session when the surgeon also performs a distinct repair of an active retinal detachment. The services are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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 67115 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 →