Billing code 69140: Ear canal excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Removal of a lesion from the external auditory canal, reported when the surgeon excises the lesion rather than taking a diagnostic sample.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69140 in Oklahoma.
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 69140 covers
This code covers surgical removal of a lesion located in the external auditory canal. Otolaryngologists typically perform the procedure when a canal lesion needs to be excised, rather than sampled for diagnosis alone. The operative setting depends on the lesion and the planned procedure; Medicare service data show use in both office and facility settings.
Report the code for the documented excision, distinguishing removal from a biopsy that obtains tissue for diagnosis. The operative note should identify the canal site, lesion, and work performed, including laterality when relevant. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one 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%. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
69140 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $776.42 |
How the 69140 rate is calculated
Each of 69140’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 · 69140
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.94
7.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense16.13
16.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.16
1.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.2300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$842.70
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69140
69140 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69140
Ear canal excision
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69140
Ear canal excision
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
69140 without 50 · national facility
$842.70
Ear canal excision
69140-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,264.05
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).
69140 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69105Ear canal biopsy
- 69105 describes biopsy of the external auditory canal. Use 69140 when the surgeon excises the lesion rather than taking a diagnostic sample.
- 69145Ear canal excision
- Both codes concern external auditory canal lesion excision. Select between them according to the specific operative service documented and the applicable billing code descriptor.
- 69150Ear canal surgery
- 69150 is for extensive external auditory canal surgery; 69140 describes removal of an ear canal lesion without characterizing the service as extensive.
69140 billing questions
When should this code be used instead of an ear canal biopsy code?
Use this code when the surgeon excises the canal lesion. A biopsy code describes sampling tissue for diagnostic examination rather than removal of the lesion.
What documentation supports reporting the excision?
Document that the lesion was in the external auditory canal and describe the excision performed. Include laterality and the operative details needed to distinguish the service from diagnostic sampling.
How is bilateral excision reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; reporting modifier 50 results in payment at 150%.
What does the 90-day global period include?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
CMS payment for an assistant at surgery requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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