CPT 66984: Cataract Removal with IOL Insertion

What is CPT 66984 used for?

CPT 66984 reports extracapsular cataract removal with insertion of an intraocular lens prosthesis in one stage, by manual or mechanical technique such as phacoemulsification with irrigation and aspiration. It is the standard, high-volume code for routine cataract surgery, one of the most common operations in Medicare.

It applies to the routine case. When special devices or techniques beyond ordinary surgery are required, the complex code 66982 is used instead. The distinction is clinical complexity, and it must be documented.

How much does 66984 pay in 2026?

Under the 2026 Medicare fee schedule, 66984 allows about $462.60 in both non-facility and facility settings for the surgeon's professional fee.

Example: a surgeon performs routine phacoemulsification with IOL on the right eye in an ASC. You bill 66984-RT at about $462.60 for the professional fee. Check your locality figure with the Medicare fee calculator.

How do you bill the second eye?

Cataract surgery is typically done one eye at a time, weeks apart, so the second surgery usually falls inside the first eye's 90-day global. That is exactly what modifier 79 is for:

1. Bill the first eye with 66984 and the correct laterality modifier.
2. For the second eye during the global period, append modifier 79.
3. Add LT or RT to identify each eye.

When is it complex 66982 instead?

Step up to 66982 only when the surgery genuinely requires devices or techniques not used in routine cases: iris expansion device, capsular tension ring, suture support for the lens, primary posterior capsulorrhexis, or an eye in the amblyogenic developmental stage. The complexity must be documented in the operative note; upcoding to 66982 without that support is an audit target under the NCCI edits. Every cataract claim must also meet medical necessity, typically documented visual impairment that affects daily function. With a 090 global period, routine post-op eye visits are bundled.