Billing code 66183: Drainage deviceMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports external placement of an aqueous drainage device without a plate reservoir to create an alternate outflow pathway for glaucoma treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66183 in Ohio.
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 66183 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon places a small drainage device through the eye wall to direct aqueous humor from the anterior chamber toward the subconjunctival space. The procedure is used to lower intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma when a drainage pathway is selected as the surgical treatment. It differs from a plate shunt because the device does not use an extraocular reservoir. The service is generally performed in an operating room or other surgical setting by an ophthalmologist.
Report the code for the external approach and document the glaucoma indication, operative approach, device placement, and the absence of an extraocular reservoir. 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; 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.
66183 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $845.46 |
How the 66183 rate is calculated
Each of 66183’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 · 66183
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.87
12.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.48
12.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.04
1.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
26.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$881.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66183
66183 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66183
Drainage device
| 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 66183
Drainage device
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
66183 without 50 · national facility
$881.45
Drainage device
66183-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,322.18
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).
66183 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 66179Glaucoma shunt
- Use 66183 for the external drainage device without an extraocular reservoir. Code 66179 describes a shunt with an extraocular reservoir and no graft.
- 66180Glaucoma shunt
- Code 66180 describes a shunt with an extraocular reservoir and a graft; 66183 is for a device without that reservoir.
- 66174Canaloplasty
- Code 66174 is for transluminal dilation of the aqueous outflow canal without a stent. This code is for placement of an external drainage device without an extraocular reservoir.
66183 billing questions
How does this differ from codes 66179 and 66180?
This code describes a device without an extraocular plate reservoir. Codes 66179 and 66180 describe aqueous shunts that use an extraocular reservoir.
What operative details support reporting this code?
Document the glaucoma indication, the external approach, the device placed, and its position creating an aqueous outflow route. The record should distinguish the device from a shunt with an extraocular reservoir.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the procedure on each eye.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules 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 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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