No office rate
Use 69915 for vestibular nerve section by the transcanal route; use 69950 when the operative approach is through the middle cranial fossa.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
69915 Vestibular nerve section Medicare reimbursement rates in Rhode Island
Reports surgical division of the vestibular nerve through a transcanal approach, typically to address severe vertigo from a unilateral inner-ear disorder. Compare 69915 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Rhode Island.
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 69915 in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1326.24
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Rhode Island
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Otologic surgery
About 69915: Transcanal vestibular nerve section
Reports surgical division of the vestibular nerve through a transcanal approach, typically to address severe vertigo from a unilateral inner-ear disorder.
An otologist or neurotologist performs this operation through the ear canal to divide the vestibular nerve and reduce abnormal balance signals. A typical clinical setting is disabling vertigo from unilateral Ménière disease that has not responded to medical treatment. The operative report should identify the transcanal route and the nerve section performed; a different surgical approach may point to a different code in this family.
Report the procedure for the transcanal nerve section itself, not for removal of the labyrinth or a facial nerve operation. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 69915
- 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 may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU22.20 · 57%
- Practice expense (office) RVU13.75 · 35%
- Malpractice RVU3.23 · 8%
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.
69915 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Rhode Island, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
69905 describes labyrinth surgery rather than division of the vestibular nerve. Choose based on the procedure actually performed.
No office rate
69910 is another labyrinth-removal procedure. It is not interchangeable with transcanal vestibular nerve section.
Compare 69915 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Rhode Island →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1326.24
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 69915 in Rhode Island.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,669
- Code
- 69915
- Physician work
- 22.20
- Practice expense
- 13.75
- Malpractice
- 3.23
GPCI2026.csv
92
- Locality
- Rhode Island
- Physician work
- 1.019
- Practice expense
- 1.033
- Malpractice
- 0.892
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 22.20 | × 1.019 | 22.6218 |
| Practice expense | 13.75 | × 1.033 | 14.2037 |
| Malpractice | 3.23 | × 0.892 | 2.8812 |
| Total RVUs | 39.7067 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Rhode Island$1326.24
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 22.2 | 1.019 |
| Practice expense | 13.75 | 1.033 |
| Malpractice | 3.23 | 0.892 |
(22.2 × 1.019 + 13.75 × 1.033 + 3.23 × 0.892) × $33.4009 = $1326.24
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
69915 billing questions
How is 69915 distinguished from 69950?
Both report vestibular nerve section, but 69915 is for the transcanal approach. 69950 is used for the middle cranial fossa approach.
Is 69915 the code for removing the labyrinth?
No. It reports division of the vestibular nerve. Labyrinth removal is represented by a different procedure, such as 69905 or 69910, depending on the operation performed.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
Use modifier 50 for bilateral performance; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
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.
7,66669806,,Explore inner ear,A,,12.31,10.33,NA,10.33,,1.78,24.42,24.42,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,66769905,,Remove inner ear,A,,10.98,11.92,NA,11.92,,1.61,24.51,24.51,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,66869910,,Remove inner ear & mastoid,A,,13.56,10.63,NA,10.63,,1.98,26.17,26.17,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,66969915,,Incise inner ear nerve,A,,22.20,13.75,NA,13.75,,3.23,39.18,39.18,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67069930,,Implant cochlear device,A,,17.29,11.90,NA,11.90,,2.54,31.73,31.73,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67169949,,Unlisted px inner ear,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67269950,,Incise inner ear nerve,A,,26.94,14.37,NA,14.37,,3.93,45.24,45.24,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8912502,PA,01,METROPOLITAN PHILADELPHIA,1.018,1.041,1.193
9012502,PA,99,REST OF PENNSYLVANIA,1.000,0.918,0.945
9109202,PR,20,PUERTO RICO,1.000,1.011,0.985
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537