Billing code 66982: Cataract surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports complex cataract removal with intraocular lens implantation when nonroutine devices or techniques are needed, without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66982 in Washington.
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 66982 covers
An ophthalmic surgeon removes the cataract and places an intraocular lens during the same operation. This level is for cases requiring a device or technique beyond routine cataract surgery, such as an iris expansion device for a small pupil, support for an unstable lens capsule, or a primary posterior capsulorrhexis. The operative note should identify the specific challenge and what additional method or device was required; a difficult case alone does not establish the complex service.
Report this code for the complex operation without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP). The lens implant is part of the one-stage service, rather than a separate insertion procedure. 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 procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, payment is 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.
Where 66982 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $642.98 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $703.88 |
How the 66982 rate is calculated
Each of 66982’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 · 66982
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.99
9.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.10
8.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.79
0.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$630.61
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66982
66982 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66982
Cataract surgery
| 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 · 66982
Cataract surgery
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
66982 without 50 · national facility
$630.61
Cataract surgery
66982-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$945.92
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).
66982 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 66984Cataract surgery
- 66984 is for routine cataract removal with lens implantation. Choose 66982 when the documented operation requires an additional device or technique beyond routine surgery.
- 66987Xcapsl ctrc rmvl cplx w/ecp
- 66987 describes complex cataract surgery performed with ECP. This code is for the complex cataract operation without ECP.
- 66989Cataract surgery
- 66989 combines complex cataract removal and lens implantation with insertion of an aqueous drainage device. This code does not describe that combined drainage-device service.
- 66985Lens implantation
- 66985 reports insertion of a lens prosthesis as a separate procedure. In 66982, lens implantation occurs as part of the same cataract operation.
66982 billing questions
How does this differ from routine cataract surgery?
Use this code when the operation requires a nonroutine device or technique, such as mechanical pupil expansion or support for an unstable capsule. Routine cataract removal with lens implantation is reported with 66984.
Is the intraocular lens billed separately?
No. Implantation of the lens during the same operation is included in this one-stage cataract service.
What documentation supports the complex level?
Document the specific condition affecting the operation and the additional device or technique used. For example, state why pupil expansion was needed and identify the expansion device used.
Can this code be used when ECP is performed?
This code describes complex cataract surgery without ECP. When ECP accompanies cataract surgery, compare the combined-service codes, including 66987.
How is bilateral surgery handled?
CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 at 150%. The 90-day global period applies to the surgical service and related postoperative care.
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
Fee sheets
Put 66982 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →