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Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct

Georgia rates for HCPCS 68816

Opens a blocked tear duct by passing a fine probe down the drainage channel from the eyelid towards the nose, then inflating a small balloon inside it to stretch the passage open. It treats a constantly watery, sticky eye caused by tears that cannot drain away.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct cost?

$1,581

Typical total for the visit. In Georgia, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,581 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $263 to the doctor who performs it, and $1,318 to the hospital or surgery center where it takes place. Done somewhere without a facility charge, you pay only the first.

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 6 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the billTypicalRange
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it$263$204 to $575
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center$1,318$851 to $2,291

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,318 · 10th to 90th $562 to $5,012Professionalmedian $263 · 10th to 90th $166 to $1,047
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $1,318professional $263

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
$831.76
Median
$5,011.87
Typical High
$7,943.28
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$177.83
Median
$707.95
Typical High
$2,089.30
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$512.86
Median
$1,000.00
Typical High
$4,570.88
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$158.49
Median
$245.47
Typical High
$501.19
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
50 · Both sides
Typical Low
$281.84
Median
$363.08
Typical High
$954.99
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$776.25
Median
$1,318.26
Typical High
$1,737.80
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$251.19
Median
$741.31
Typical High
$1,905.46
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$165.96
Median
$977.24
Typical High
$2,951.21
Oscar Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$199.53
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$1,148.15
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$851.14
Median
$1,479.11
Typical High
$5,011.87
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$186.21
Median
$676.08
Typical High
$1,737.80
2 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
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$131.83
Median
$208.93
Typical High
$794.33
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$123.03
Median
$194.98
Typical High
$741.31

Where Georgia sits

The same service costs 3.5 times more in Colorado than in Montana. 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.

Physician feeFacility fee

Georgia· 49th of 51

$1,581

$263 physician + $1,318 facility

CO $4,667MT $1,347

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.