Billing code 66500: Surgical iridotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Report this service when an ophthalmic surgeon creates an iris opening by incision, such as to relieve pupillary block, without separately excising iris tissue.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66500 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 66500 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon creates an opening in the iris through a surgical incision. A typical clinical use is a peripheral iridotomy to provide another route for aqueous flow in an eye with pupillary block, including angle-closure glaucoma. The procedure is performed in an operative setting; it is distinct from creating the opening with a laser and from removing a portion of iris tissue.
Report 66500 when the operative record supports an incision-created iris opening without iridectomy. Document the eye treated, indication, operative approach, and whether iris tissue was excised; use the code describing the additional tissue removal when applicable. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For bilateral surgery with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
66500 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $333.48 |
How the 66500 rate is calculated
Each of 66500’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 · 66500
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.73Practice expense 6.53Malpractice 0.29
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66500
66500 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66500
Surgical iridotomy
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 66500
Surgical iridotomy
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
66500 without 50 · national facility
$352.38
Surgical iridotomy
66500-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$528.57
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).
66500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
66500 vs 66505 vs 66761: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
66500 billing questions
How does 66500 differ from 66505?
66500 describes an incision-created iris opening without iridectomy. Use 66505 when the incision-based procedure also includes iridectomy.
When is 66761 used instead?
66761 describes an iris opening or iridectomy performed by laser. Code 66500 is for an opening created by surgical incision.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For bilateral performance, report modifier 50; CMS payment is 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What documentation supports choosing 66500?
Record the indication, treated eye, surgical approach, and that an iris opening was created by incision. Document whether iris tissue was also excised to distinguish the service from 66505.
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 66500 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 →