Billing code 65815: Eye drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Ophthalmologists report this procedure when they drain aqueous from the eye’s anterior chamber and refill it with air, gas, or liquid.
Medicare pays $664.04–$747.22 for 65815 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 65815 covers
This procedure is an anterior chamber paracentesis that removes aqueous and replaces it with air, another gas, or fluid. An ophthalmologist may perform it as an anterior chamber washout, including for a significant hyphema requiring evacuation and chamber replacement. It is a surgical service, commonly furnished in an operating room or other procedural setting; the operative note should identify the chamber drainage and the replacement material.
Select this code when both drainage and replacement are performed. A diagnostic aspiration or medication injection alone, or drainage without replacement, points to a different code in the family. Documentation should describe the reason for the procedure, the fluid or material removed, and what was used to refill the chamber. Medicare 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with 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 65815 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $664.04 | $421.01 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $747.22 | $464.03 |
How the 65815 rate is calculated
Each of 65815’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 · 65815
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.85Practice expense 12.92Malpractice 0.46
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 65815
65815 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 65815
Eye drainage
| 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 · 65815
Eye drainage
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
65815 without 50 · national office
$642.30
Eye drainage
65815-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$963.45
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).
65815 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
65815 vs 65800 vs 65810 vs 65820: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 65800Eye paracentesis
- Choose 65800 for diagnostic aspiration or medication injection without the drainage-and-replacement service. 65815 includes drainage followed by chamber replacement.
- 65810Eye drainage
- 65810 describes anterior chamber drainage without replacement. Report 65815 when the chamber is refilled with air, gas, or liquid after drainage.
- 65820Goniotomy
- 65820 is a goniotomy, an angle procedure used to address glaucoma. It is not an anterior chamber drainage-and-replacement service.
65815 billing questions
How does this differ from 65810?
Use 65815 when aqueous is drained and the chamber is replaced with air, gas, or liquid. Code 65810 describes drainage without that replacement.
Can 65815 be used for a diagnostic tap or medication injection?
No. A diagnostic aspiration or medication injection without the drainage-and-replacement service belongs to the distinct service described by 65800.
What documentation supports 65815?
The operative note should establish anterior chamber drainage and identify the replacement material. Include the clinical reason, such as a hyphema requiring chamber washout, when applicable.
Does the code have a global period?
Yes. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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