CPT code 10120: Foreign body removal, simple subcutaneous extraction2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $157.32 for 10120 nationally in the office and $102.21 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $139.13–$209.42.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 10120 covers

Code 10120 describes a straightforward incision and extraction of a retained object in the tissue just beneath the skin, such as a splinter that cannot be removed from the surface. Physicians and other qualified practitioners commonly perform the procedure in an office or outpatient setting, after locating the object and preparing the site. The code is for subcutaneous tissue; a foreign body in a deeper structure or a more complex removal may call for another code.

Select 10120 when the documented service supports a simple extraction, rather than the more complicated service represented by 10121. The record should identify the object and site, show its subcutaneous location, and describe the incision and removal. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 10120 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

10120 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 10120 rate is calculated

Each of 10120’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 10120

10120 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

10120 compared with similar codes

How to choose

10121Foreign body removalComplicated subcutaneous

Both codes address subcutaneous foreign-body removal; 10120 is for a straightforward extraction, while 10121 represents a complicated removal.

20520Foreign body removalMuscle or tendon, simple

Use 20520 when the foreign body is in muscle or a tendon sheath, rather than in subcutaneous tissue.

28190Foot foreign body removalSubcutaneous foreign body

Use 28190 for subcutaneous foreign-body removal in the foot; 10120 is the general code for a simple subcutaneous extraction.

Codes related to 10120

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates