$36.04–$42.41
68850 represents the contrast injection. 70190 represents the radiological supervision and interpretation when that service is performed.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
68850 Lacrimal imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in Virginia
Reports contrast injection into the lacrimal drainage pathway for dacryocystography when imaging is used to assess suspected tear-drainage obstruction. Compare 68850 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Virginia.
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 68850 in Virginia?
Virginia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$55.28–$63.11
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$44.78–$50.52
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Ophthalmology procedure
About 68850: Contrast injection for lacrimal imaging
Reports contrast injection into the lacrimal drainage pathway for dacryocystography when imaging is used to assess suspected tear-drainage obstruction.
For this service, a clinician accesses the lacrimal drainage pathway through the punctum and injects contrast so the system can be imaged. Ophthalmologists commonly perform the injection when evaluating epiphora or suspected obstruction of the canaliculi, lacrimal sac, or nasolacrimal duct. The radiographic study can show the course of the drainage pathway and where contrast flow is interrupted.
Report the injection when it is performed for dacryocystography; documentation should identify the clinical reason, the side treated, and the injection service. Radiological supervision and interpretation may be represented separately by 70190 when performed and documented. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150% of the single-side amount. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures receive the standard multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 68850
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.78 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.84 · 50%
- Malpractice RVU0.07 · 4%
33
Medicare services in 2024 · #5606 by national volume
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.
68850 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Virginia, from the same CMS release.
$157.67–$182.78
Choose 68810 for probing the nasolacrimal duct; choose 68850 when contrast is injected for radiographic evaluation.
$131.88–$152.72
68840 describes exploration or irrigation of lacrimal passages. 68850 is the contrast-injection service for dacryocystography.
Compare 68850 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs →
Office / nonfacility
$63.11
Facility
$50.52
Virginia →
Office / nonfacility
$55.28
Facility
$44.78
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68850 billing questions
How is this different from probing or irrigating the tear duct?
This service injects contrast for radiographic assessment of the lacrimal drainage pathway. Probing or irrigation, such as 68810 or 68840, evaluates or treats patency by a different method.
Can the radiographic interpretation be reported separately?
When radiological supervision and interpretation is performed and documented, 70190 represents that service separately from the contrast injection.
How should bilateral injections be reported?
Use modifier 50 for bilateral performance. CMS pays the bilateral service at 150% of the single-side amount.
What same-session payment reduction applies?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and pays the others at 50%.
Does the 0-day global period include same-day care?
Yes. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure's 0-day global period.
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.
7,57568816,,Probe nl duct w/balloon,A,,2.05,22.69,,1.80,,0.16,24.90,4.01,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,57668840,,Explore/irrigate tear ducts,A,,1.27,2.66,,1.77,,0.09,4.02,3.13,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,57768841,,Insj rx elut implt lac canal,A,,0.48,0.64,,0.30,,0.04,1.16,0.82,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,57868850,,Injection for tear sac x-ray,A,,0.78,0.84,,0.52,,0.07,1.69,1.37,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,57968899,,Unlisted px lacrimal system,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
7,58069000,,Drg xtrnl ear absc/hem smpl,A,,1.46,4.05,,1.83,,0.23,5.74,3.52,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,58169005,,Drg xtrnl ear absc/hem comp,A,,2.11,4.22,,1.94,,0.33,6.66,4.38,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00