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Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct

Tennessee 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?

$2,538

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

Insurers have agreed to pay about $2,538 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $676 to the doctor who performs it, and $1,862 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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the billTypicalRange
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it$676$209 to $1,148
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center$1,862$1,175 to $3,020

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,862 · 10th to 90th $871 to $4,169Professionalmedian $676 · 10th to 90th $148 to $5,754
$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $1,862professional $676

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
$1,071.52
Median
$2,398.83
Typical High
$7,585.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$147.91
Median
$794.33
Typical High
$1,202.26
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$831.76
Median
$1,584.89
Typical High
$3,467.37
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$169.82
Median
$537.03
Typical High
$1,047.13
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$724.44
Median
$1,380.38
Typical High
$3,801.89
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$128.82
Median
$457.09
Typical High
$912.01
Lucent Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5,754.40
Median
$5,754.40
Typical High
$7,244.36
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1,000.00
Median
$2,570.40
Typical High
$5,128.61
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$151.36
Median
$575.44
Typical High
$1,096.48
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
$109.65
Median
$229.09
Typical High
$891.25
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
78 · Unplanned return to OR
Typical Low
$102.33
Median
$213.80
Typical High
$831.76

Where Tennessee 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

Tennessee· 22nd of 51

$2,538

$676 physician + $1,862 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.