Billing code 69155: Ear canal surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports extensive surgery for an external auditory canal lesion involving the neck, rather than a limited canal excision or a procedure confined to the external ear.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69155 in Texas.
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 69155 covers
billing code 69155 represents extensive operative treatment of an external auditory canal lesion that also involves neck surgery. It is used for substantial surgical management, such as resection of an extensive canal tumor with a neck dissection, rather than a biopsy or a limited excision. Otolaryngologists typically perform this work in a hospital or other surgical facility; the operative report should establish the lesion’s site and extent and describe the canal and neck procedures performed.
Select this code when the documented operation matches its extensive ear-and-neck scope, not simply because a lesion is large or malignant. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
Where 69155 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $1,452.58 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,372.97 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,407.88 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,420.09 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,415.93 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,414.32 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,475.09 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,391.92 |
How the 69155 rate is calculated
Each of 69155’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 · 69155
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 22.77Practice expense 16.76Malpractice 3.32
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69155
69155 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69155
Ear canal surgery
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69155
Ear canal surgery
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
69155 without 51 · national facility
$1,431.23
Ear canal surgery
69155-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$715.62
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
69155 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
69155 vs 69145 vs 69140 vs 69105: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 69145Ear canal excision
- Use 69155 when the extensive canal operation includes neck surgery. 69145 represents extensive canal lesion excision without that ear-and-neck scope.
- 69140Ear canal excision
- 69140 is for limited excision of an external auditory canal lesion. 69155 represents extensive surgery involving the canal and neck.
- 69105Ear canal biopsy
- 69105 reports biopsy of an external auditory canal site for tissue diagnosis; it does not represent extensive resection with neck surgery.
69155 billing questions
How does 69155 differ from 69145?
69155 is for extensive ear canal surgery involving the neck. Use 69145 for an extensive canal lesion excision without the neck-surgery scope represented by 69155.
Can a neck dissection be billed separately?
When the neck surgery is part of the extensive ear-and-neck service reported with 69155, do not separately report the same work. The operative report should clarify which procedures were performed.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor or anatomy.
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.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the same session 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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