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Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct

Maryland 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 July 2026.

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

$1,023

Typical facility fee. In Maryland, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,023 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $759 to $1,096.

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 4 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,072 · 10th to 90th $186 to $1,622Professionalmedian $977 · 10th to 90th $759 to $1,445
$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $1,072professional $977

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$186.21
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,148.15
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$724.44
Typical High
$1,023.29
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$977.24
Typical High
$1,445.44
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$1,000.00
Typical High
$4,897.79

Where Maryland sits

The same service costs 9.1 times more in Indiana than in Maine. 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.

Maryland· 48th of 50

$1,023

IN $6,457ME $708

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.