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Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct

South Carolina 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?

$5,248

Typical facility fee. In South Carolina, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $5,248 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $1,047 to $8,318.

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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $5,248 · 10th to 90th $204 to $14,791
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $5,248

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
$194.98
Median
$5,623.41
Typical High
$21,877.62
BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,570.40
Median
$5,011.87
Typical High
$8,128.31
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,659.59
Median
$1,659.59
Typical High
$1,659.59
Medcost
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$169.82
Median
$724.44
Typical High
$1,258.93
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,905.46
Median
$10,232.93
Typical High
$16,595.87

Where South Carolina 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.

South Carolina· 3rd of 50

$5,248

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.