CPT code 69020: Canal abscess drainage2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Drainage of a localized external auditory canal abscess, reported when a clinician incises and evacuates an abscess within the ear canal.
Medicare pays $230.02–$251.34 for 69020 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 69020 covers
This service treats a localized collection of infection within the external auditory canal, such as a painful, fluctuant canal abscess. An otolaryngologist commonly performs the procedure, although other qualified clinicians may drain it in an office, emergency department, or other appropriate setting. The work centers on the canal; drainage of an abscess or hematoma on the outer ear is a different service.
Documentation should identify the affected canal, describe the abscess findings, and support that drainage was performed. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and additional procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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.
Where 69020 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $251.34 | $140.39 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $230.02 | $130.55 |
How the 69020 rate is calculated
Each of 69020’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 · 69020
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.49
1.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.27
5.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.9700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$232.80
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69020
69020 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69020
Canal abscess drainage
| 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 · 69020
Canal abscess drainage
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
69020 without 50 · national office
$232.80
Canal abscess drainage
69020-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$349.20
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).
69020 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69000Ear drainage
- Use 69000 for simple drainage of an abscess or hematoma on the external ear. Use 69020 when the abscess is within the external auditory canal.
- 69005Ear drainage
- 69005 covers complicated drainage of an external-ear abscess or hematoma. The location for 69020 is the external auditory canal.
- 69210Impacted ear wax removal
- 69210 is for removal of impacted cerumen requiring instrumentation, not incision and drainage of a canal abscess.
69020 billing questions
How is canal abscess drainage different from 69000 or 69005?
69020 is for an abscess within the external auditory canal. Codes 69000 and 69005 address drainage of an abscess or hematoma on the external ear, with the choice between them based on the service's complexity.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in 69020.
How should bilateral canal drainage be reported?
Use modifier 50 for bilateral treatment; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports 69020?
Document that the abscess is in the external auditory canal, the clinical findings supporting an abscess, and that drainage was performed. Distinguish the canal site from an external-ear lesion.
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 69020 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 →