$607.71–$666.20
Both address lower-lid blepharoplasty, but 15821 is selected when the operation addresses pronounced orbital fat-pad prolapse; 15820 is for the lower-lid procedure without that extent of fat involvement.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
15821 Lower eyelid surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Reports lower-eyelid blepharoplasty that addresses pronounced protrusion of orbital fat pads, with the operative work and findings supporting the selected level. Compare 15821 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Massachusetts.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 15821 in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$654.10–$716.65
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$495.48–$536.79
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Oculoplastic surgery
About 15821: Lower eyelid blepharoplasty with fat correction
Reports lower-eyelid blepharoplasty that addresses pronounced protrusion of orbital fat pads, with the operative work and findings supporting the selected level.
This procedure reshapes the lower eyelid when prominent orbital fat pads create under-eye bulging. The surgeon may remove or reposition protruding fat and address redundant skin as part of the lid contouring. Oculoplastic, plastic, or facial plastic surgeons commonly perform it in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital, and sometimes in an office-based operating setting. The operative note should identify the lower lid treated, describe the extent of fat prolapse, and document the work performed and the clinical indication.
Select this code when the lower-lid operation involves substantial fat-pad prolapse; use 15820 for lower-lid blepharoplasty without that extent of fat involvement. For both eyelids, CMS pays modifier 50 at 150% of the unilateral payment. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 15821
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.67 · 35%
- Practice expense (office) RVU11.67 · 61%
- Malpractice RVU0.65 · 3%
465
Medicare services in 2024 · #3624 by national volume
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.
15821 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
$486.87–$535.14
15822 describes upper-eyelid blepharoplasty. Use 15821 for the lower eyelid with prominent orbital fat-pad prolapse.
$653.33–$715.92
15823 concerns upper-lid blepharoplasty with excess skin. It is not the code for lower-lid fat-pad contouring.
Compare 15821 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Metropolitan Boston →
Office / nonfacility
$716.65
Facility
$536.79
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
$654.10
Facility
$495.48
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
15821 billing questions
How does 15821 differ from 15820?
Use 15821 when the lower-lid blepharoplasty addresses pronounced prolapse of orbital fat pads. Use 15820 for lower-lid blepharoplasty without that degree of fat-pad involvement.
Can 15820 also be reported for the same lower eyelid?
Do not separately report 15820 for the same lower-lid blepharoplasty represented by 15821. Document the fat-pad findings and the operative work supporting 15821.
How should bilateral lower-lid surgery be reported?
Report the bilateral procedure with modifier 50. CMS pays it at 150% of the unilateral payment.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
CMS pays an assistant at surgery only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,55915792,,Chem peel nonfacial epidrm,R,,1.81,7.85,,3.73,,0.21,9.87,5.75,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56015793,,Chemical peel nonfacial drm,A,,3.86,9.78,,5.21,,0.45,14.09,9.52,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56115820,,Blepharoplasty lower eyelid,A,,6.11,11.02,,6.90,,0.48,17.61,13.49,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56215821,,Blepharp lwr eyelid fat pad,A,,6.67,11.67,,7.16,,0.65,18.99,14.48,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56315822,,Blepharoplasty upper eyelid,A,,4.50,9.13,,5.66,,0.49,14.12,10.65,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56415823,,Blepharp upr eyelid xcsv skn,A,,6.64,11.73,,7.20,,0.58,18.95,14.42,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,56515824,,Rhytidectomy forehead,R,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00