Billing code 69905: LabyrinthectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports removal of the inner-ear labyrinth through the ear canal, typically to treat disabling vertigo when hearing in the affected ear is not serviceable.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 69905 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 69905 covers
An otologist or neurotologist performs this operation through the external auditory canal to remove the labyrinth, the inner-ear structures responsible for balance. It is a destructive procedure that eliminates vestibular function and hearing in the treated ear. A typical clinical setting is severe, persistent vertigo arising from an inner-ear disorder when hearing in that ear is already nonserviceable; the operation is generally performed in a hospital operating room.
Select this code when the documented operation uses the transcanal approach and removes the labyrinth; an approach that includes mastoidectomy is represented by a different code. The operative report should identify the approach, structures treated, and side. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 bilateral reporting is paid at 150%. Medicare 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 69905 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $831.67 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $917.53 |
How the 69905 rate is calculated
Each of 69905’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 · 69905
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.98
10.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.92
11.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.61
1.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.5100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$818.66
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 69905
69905 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 69905
Labyrinthectomy
| 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) | 0.07/0.79/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 69905
Labyrinthectomy
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
69905 without 50 · national facility
$818.66
Labyrinthectomy
69905-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,227.99
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).
69905 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 69910Labyrinthectomy
- Choose 69905 for labyrinth removal through the ear canal. Choose 69910 when the procedure includes mastoidectomy.
- 69915Vestibular nerve section
- 69915 reports transcanal vestibular nerve section; 69905 reports removal of the labyrinth itself.
- 69950Vestibular nerve section
- 69950 reports vestibular nerve section through a translabyrinthine approach. 69905 is labyrinth removal through the ear canal.
69905 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 69910?
69905 describes labyrinth removal through the ear canal. Use 69910 when the operation includes a mastoidectomy.
How does this differ from vestibular nerve section?
Labyrinthectomy removes the inner-ear labyrinth. Vestibular nerve section, reported with codes such as 69915 or 69950, cuts the balance nerve instead.
Does the global period include postoperative visits?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For bilateral performance, report modifier 50; CMS pays this code at 150% under the stated bilateral rule.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery 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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