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Glaucoma Drainage Gel Implant Placement

California rates for HCPCS 0449T

A surgeon places a soft, flexible tube-like implant inside the eye to create a new drainage channel for fluid, helping to lower eye pressure in people with glaucoma. It's placed through a very small opening without a large incision, and unlike some other minimally invasive glaucoma implants, it's often positioned to drain fluid to just beneath the surface tissue of the eye rather than into a deeper internal space. It's typically used for glaucoma that hasn't been well controlled with eye drops alone.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Glaucoma Drainage Gel Implant Placement cost?

$871

Typical negotiated rate. In California, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $871 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $832 from a physician practice, and about $4,571 from a hospital or other facility.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 10 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$832$646 to $1,660
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$4,571$1,202 to $7,413

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $4,571 · 10th to 90th $676 to $12,303Professionalmedian $832 · 10th to 90th $288 to $6,918
$100$500$2K$10Kfacility $4,571professional $832

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,238.72
Median
$6,760.83
Typical High
$16,218.10
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$676.08
Typical High
$794.33
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3,630.78
Median
$6,918.31
Typical High
$13,489.63
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$794.33
Median
$831.76
Typical High
$1,445.44
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$97.72
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$4,786.30
Blue Shield
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$204.17
Median
$288.40
Typical High
$371.54
Central California Alliance for Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,071.52
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$10,000.00
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5,495.41
Median
$5,495.41
Typical High
$5,754.40
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$1,621.81
Lucent Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5,623.41
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$6,918.31
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$9,772.37
Providence
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$831.76
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$1,412.54
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,290.87
Median
$5,754.40
Typical High
$17,378.01
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$575.44
Median
$724.44
Typical High
$1,348.96
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$302.00
Median
$338.84
Typical High
$346.74
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$120.23
Median
$134.90
Typical High
$141.25
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$457.09
Median
$501.19
Typical High
$524.81
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$91.20
Median
$100.00
Typical High
$104.71
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$60.26
Median
$67.61
Typical High
$70.79

Where California sits

The same service costs 5.1 times more in Texas than in Delaware. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

California· 40th of 51

$871

TX $3,981DE $776

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.