Billing code 65600: Corneal revisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Corneal revision covers surgery to address corneal scar tissue, such as when an ophthalmologist removes scar tissue affecting the cornea.
Medicare pays $456.97–$513.86 for 65600 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 65600 covers
An ophthalmologist, often a cornea specialist, performs this surgery to revise corneal tissue, including removal of scar tissue. The clinical situation may involve a scar that affects the cornea’s surface or clarity. The service is performed in an ophthalmic surgical setting or another setting equipped for the procedure; the operative report should identify the affected eye, the scar or other tissue being revised, and the work performed.
Report 65600 when the service is a corneal revision, not simply removal of a discrete corneal lesion or removal of the corneal epithelium. Documentation should support the reason for revision and describe the operative work. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; 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 65600 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $456.97 | $307.14 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $513.86 | $339.27 |
How the 65600 rate is calculated
Each of 65600’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 · 65600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.10Practice expense 8.81Malpractice 0.33
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65600
65600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65600
Corneal revision
| 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) | 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) | 0.10/0.70/0.20 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 65600
Corneal revision
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
65600 without 50 · national office
$442.23
Corneal revision
65600-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$663.35
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).
65600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
65600 vs 65400 vs 65435 vs 65710: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 65400Corneal excision
- 65600 represents revision of corneal tissue, such as scar removal; 65400 is used for excision of a corneal lesion.
- 65435Corneal treatment
- 65435 is for removal of corneal epithelium. Choose 65600 when the operative work is revision of corneal tissue rather than epithelial removal alone.
- 65710Corneal transplant
- 65710 describes penetrating corneal transplantation. 65600 is for corneal revision without the transplant service.
65600 billing questions
When should 65600 be chosen instead of 65400?
Use 65600 for revision of corneal tissue, such as removal of scar tissue. Use 65400 when the procedure is excision of a corneal lesion.
What should the operative note document?
Document the clinical reason for revision, the affected eye, the corneal tissue or scar addressed, and the work performed.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS facts for this code.
How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, with payment at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this surgery?
Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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