CPT code 69110: Auricular excision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Utah

Reports surgical removal of part of the external ear, such as when a localized auricular lesion requires excision rather than diagnostic sampling.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 20261 payment locality1.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $447.32 for 69110 in the office in Utah (Utah). Which amount applies depends on the service address.

$447.32Office (non-facility)
$288.76Hospital or facility

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

We’ll open 69110 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 9 sections
  1. Rate in Utah
  2. What 69110 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. How it’s calculated
  5. Payment rules
  6. Similar codes
  7. Related codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 69110 covers

This service removes a portion of the auricle, the visible external ear, when the affected area cannot be treated by a small diagnostic sample alone. An otolaryngologist, plastic surgeon, or other qualified surgeon may perform it in an office procedure room, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital. A typical clinical situation is a localized pinna lesion for which definitive treatment requires removal of part of the ear.

Choose this code for partial removal of the external ear, not a biopsy alone or removal of the entire auricle. The operative report should identify the affected ear and site, the extent of tissue removed, and the reason for excision. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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.

69110 in Utah

69110 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Utah$447.32$288.76

How the 69110 rate is calculated

Each of 69110’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 · 69110

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work3.44

3.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense10.11

10.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.50

0.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

14.0500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$469.28

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 69110

69110 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 69110

Auricular excision

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.07/0.79/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 69110

Auricular 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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

69110 without 50 · national office

$469.28

Auricular excision

69110-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$703.92

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).

When to use modifier 50

69110 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 69110

    Auricular excision3.44 wRVU

    $469.28

  • 69100

    Ear biopsy0.79 wRVU

    $92.52−$376.76

  • 69120

    External ear excision4.04 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 69140

    Ear canal excision7.94 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

69100Ear biopsy
69100 is for biopsy of the external ear. Use 69110 when the operative service removes part of the auricle rather than taking a diagnostic sample.
69120External ear excision
69120 represents complete external-ear removal; 69110 is for partial removal.
69140Ear canal excision
69140 addresses a lesion in the external auditory canal. This code is for partial removal of the visible external ear.

69110 billing questions

When is this code appropriate instead of an external ear biopsy?

Use this code when the surgeon removes part of the auricle as treatment, rather than taking tissue primarily for diagnostic examination. A limited diagnostic sample is reported with 69100.

How does this differ from complete external ear removal?

This code represents partial removal of the auricle. Code 69120 is the related code for complete removal.

Does the 90-day global period include related postoperative visits?

Yes. The CMS global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How is bilateral surgery reported?

For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for this procedure?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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 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
RVUs for 69110PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,586 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for UtahGPCI2026.csv, line 104 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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