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CPT 69436 — Create eardrum opening

CPT code 69436 (Create eardrum opening) carries 1.96 work RVUs under the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Total RVUs are 4.33 in a non-facility setting and 4.33 in a facility setting, which at the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40 works out to $144.63 and $144.63 respectively.

1.96
Work RVU
4.33
Total RVU (non-facility)
$144.63
Medicare, non-facility
$144.63
Medicare, facility
Calculate your total wRVUs →

RVU breakdown for CPT 69436

ComponentRVUsWhat it covers
Work RVU1.96Physician time, skill, effort, and stress.
Practice expense RVU (non-facility)2.09Office overhead, staff, supplies.
Practice expense RVU (facility)0.0Overhead when performed in a hospital.
Malpractice RVU0.28Professional liability cost.
Total RVU (non-facility)4.33Work + non-facility PE + malpractice.
Total RVU (facility)4.33Work + facility PE + malpractice.

How Medicare payment is calculated

Medicare multiplies total RVUs by the annual conversion factor. For CPT 69436 in 2026:

SettingTotal RVUConversion factorNational payment
Non-facility4.33$33.40$144.63
Facility4.33$33.40$144.63

These are national amounts. Actual payment is adjusted by the Geographic Practice Cost Index for your locality — check yours with the GPCI lookup.

Billing rules for CPT 69436

Global period
10-day global — minor procedure; 10 days of follow-up care included.
Multiple procedure reduction
Subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction (100%/50%/50%…).
Bilateral surgery
150% payment adjustment applies when performed bilaterally.
Assistant surgeon
Not permitted.
Co-surgeon
Not permitted unless documentation supports medical necessity.
Team surgery
Not permitted unless documentation supports medical necessity.

Questions about CPT 69436

How many work RVUs is CPT 69436?

CPT 69436 is assigned 1.96 work RVUs in the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

What does Medicare pay for CPT 69436?

At the 2026 national conversion factor of $33.40, CPT 69436 pays approximately $144.63 in a non-facility setting and $144.63 in a facility setting before geographic adjustment.

What is the global period for CPT 69436?

10-day global — minor procedure; 10 days of follow-up care included.

RVU values reflect the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (conversion factor $33.40). Payment figures are national and unadjusted for geography. Verify against the official fee schedule before using for billing.