Billing code 69205: Ear foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Iowa
Removal of a foreign object from the external ear canal under general anesthesia, typically when safe extraction requires the patient to remain still.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69205 in Iowa.
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 69205 covers
This service removes a discrete foreign object from the external auditory canal while the patient is under general anesthesia. It may be used for a child who cannot safely tolerate extraction while awake, or when an object is lodged in a way that makes movement during removal unsafe. An otolaryngologist or another qualified clinician performs the extraction, commonly in an operating room or procedure setting equipped for general anesthesia. Examples include an object placed in the canal by a child; impacted cerumen is not a foreign body for this code.
Report 69205 when the documented procedure removes a foreign body under general anesthesia; removal without general anesthesia is reported with 69200. The record should identify the object or foreign material, the ear treated, the extraction performed, and the use of general anesthesia. Medicare includes related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 applies to bilateral performance, paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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.
69205 in Iowa
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Unavailable | $80.48 |
How the 69205 rate is calculated
Each of 69205’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 · 69205
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.18
1.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.27
1.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.17
0.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.6200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$87.51
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69205
69205 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69205
Ear foreign body removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69205
Ear foreign body removal
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
69205 without 50 · national facility
$87.51
Ear foreign body removal
69205-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$131.27
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).
69205 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69200Ear canal removal
- Use 69205 for external ear canal foreign-body removal under general anesthesia. Use 69200 when the removal is performed without general anesthesia.
- 69209Earwax removal
- 69209 describes removal of impacted cerumen by irrigation or lavage. It is not the code for extracting a discrete foreign object.
- 69210Impacted ear wax removal
- 69210 describes instrumental removal of impacted cerumen. Choose 69205 for a foreign body removed under general anesthesia, not for wax removal.
69205 billing questions
How is 69205 different from 69200?
Both involve removal of a foreign body from the external ear canal. Use 69205 when removal is performed under general anesthesia; 69200 describes removal without general anesthesia.
Can 69205 be used for impacted earwax?
No. It is for removal of a foreign body, not cerumen. For impacted cerumen, the applicable code depends on the removal method: irrigation or lavage versus instrumentation.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the code's minor-procedure global period.
How should bilateral removal be reported?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 69205. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 69205?
Document the foreign body, the ear treated, the removal performed, and that the procedure was under general anesthesia. The record should distinguish a foreign object from impacted cerumen.
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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