Billing code 66985: Lens implantationMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports placement of an intraocular lens in an aphakic eye after the natural lens was removed in an earlier procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 66985 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 66985 covers
An ophthalmologist uses this service to place an intraocular lens in an eye that lacks its natural lens, typically after cataract extraction or other prior lens removal. It represents a later implant procedure, rather than lens placement during the same operation as cataract removal. The procedure is commonly performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center; the surgeon documents the eye’s lens status and the method used to position and secure the implant.
Report the code for the secondary implant, with laterality supported in the operative record. The 90-day global period includes 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 the others at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted by statute; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 66985 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $672.87 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $739.84 |
How the 66985 rate is calculated
Each of 66985’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 · 66985
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.73Practice expense 9.20Malpractice 0.79
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 66985
66985 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 66985
Lens implantation
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 66985
Lens implantation
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
66985 without 50 · national facility
$658.67
Lens implantation
66985-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$988.01
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).
66985 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
66985 vs 66984 vs 66986 vs 66982: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 66984Cataract surgery
- Use 66984 when cataract removal and lens implantation occur in the same operation. Use 66985 for lens placement after the natural lens was removed previously.
- 66986Lens exchange
- 66986 describes exchange of an existing intraocular lens. 66985 describes secondary implantation when an intraocular lens is absent.
- 66982Cataract surgery
- 66982 is for complex cataract removal with lens implantation in the same operation; 66985 is for a later implant procedure.
66985 billing questions
How is this different from 66984?
66985 is for implanting a lens after the natural lens was removed in an earlier procedure. 66984 describes cataract removal with lens implantation during the same operation.
When would 66986 be considered instead?
66986 is for exchanging an existing intraocular lens. Use 66985 when the eye needs a secondary implant rather than replacement of an implant already in place.
What documentation supports 66985?
Document the eye’s aphakic status, the reason for secondary implantation, laterality, and operative details of lens placement and fixation.
How does the bilateral payment rule work?
CMS pays 150% when the bilateral procedure is reported with modifier 50. The operative documentation should support treatment of both eyes.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of 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 66985 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 →