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Balloon Opening of a Blocked Tear Duct

Washington 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?

$1,549

Typical facility fee. In Washington, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,549 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $575 to $6,026.

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 8 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,549 · 10th to 90th $316 to $10,233
$200$500$1K$2K$5K$10K$20Kfacility $1,549

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
$316.23
Median
$2,187.76
Typical High
$12,302.69
Asuris Northwest Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$4,466.84
Median
$7,244.36
Typical High
$12,882.50
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,023.29
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$2,454.71
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$302.00
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$2,398.83
Pacific Source
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$954.99
Median
$1,479.11
Typical High
$1,698.24
Premera BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,148.15
Median
$1,148.15
Typical High
$1,202.26
Regence BlueShield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$4,365.16
Median
$7,079.46
Typical High
$12,589.25
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,288.25
Median
$7,079.46
Typical High
$13,489.63

Where Washington 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.

Washington· 41st of 50

$1,549

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.