Billing code 69610: Eardrum repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports a limited repair of a tympanic membrane perforation, such as edge preparation and patch placement, without more extensive middle-ear reconstruction.
Medicare pays $361.22–$392.55 for 69610 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 69610 covers
An otolaryngologist uses this service for a limited repair of a tympanic membrane perforation, often by preparing the perforation margin and applying a patch. It is commonly performed in an office or outpatient setting for a persistent eardrum opening when a patch-based repair is appropriate. The service may include preparation of the perforation site; a patch may or may not be used.
Choose this code when the documented work is limited to the eardrum repair, rather than a more extensive tympanoplasty involving middle-ear reconstruction. The operative note should identify the perforation, the repair technique, and whether site preparation or a patch was used. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. If multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. For bilateral repair, 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 69610 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 payment localities
$361.22 to $392.55
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $392.55 | $252.26 |
| Beaumont | $361.22 | $240.55 |
| Brazoria | $376.77 | $245.37 |
| Dallas | $379.61 | $247.54 |
| Fort Worth | $377.72 | $246.98 |
| Galveston | $378.20 | $246.53 |
| Houston | $389.55 | $257.87 |
| Rest Of Texas | $369.09 | $243.25 |
How the 69610 rate is calculated
Each of 69610’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 · 69610
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.36Practice expense 6.46Malpractice 0.62
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69610
69610 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69610
Eardrum repair
| 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 · 69610
Eardrum repair
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
69610 without 50 · national office
$382.11
Eardrum repair
69610-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$573.17
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).
69610 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
69610 vs 69620 vs 69631 vs 69632: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 69620Myringoplasty
- 69610 is for a limited tympanic membrane repair, often involving site preparation or a patch. Choose 69620 when the procedure documented is myringoplasty.
- 69631Tympanoplasty
- 69631 describes tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy and without ossicular chain reconstruction. It is a better fit when the operative work extends beyond a limited eardrum repair into middle-ear surgery.
- 69632Tympanoplasty
- 69632 is tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy with ossicular chain reconstruction. 69610 is limited to the tympanic membrane repair.
69610 billing questions
When is 69610 preferable to 69620?
Use 69610 for a limited tympanic membrane repair, such as perforation-margin preparation with or without a patch. 69620 represents myringoplasty and should be selected when the documented procedure meets that service’s scope.
Is patch placement separately reported?
No. Patch use is included in 69610, and site preparation may also be part of the repair.
How is bilateral repair reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral repair; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What documentation supports 69610 instead of tympanoplasty?
Document the tympanic membrane perforation and the limited repair performed, including site preparation and patch use when applicable. A more extensive procedure involving middle-ear reconstruction may point to a tympanoplasty code instead.
Are postoperative visits separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the procedure’s global period.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% 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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