CPT code 20670: Implant removal, superficial hardware2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports removal of accessible superficial orthopedic hardware, such as a buried wire or pin, when a clinician removes the implant from its site.
Medicare pays $396.31–$506.56 for 20670 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 20670 covers
This service covers removal of orthopedic hardware located superficially, such as a buried wire, pin, or screw that can be reached without the deeper dissection required for deep implants. An orthopedist or another clinician performing musculoskeletal procedures may remove it in an office procedure room, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital operating room, depending on the implant’s location and the work needed. The key distinction from deep-implant removal is the documented depth and surgical exposure, not simply the type of hardware.
Report the service for the superficial implant removal itself, and document the implant, anatomic site, and depth supporting the superficial classification. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 20670 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$396.31 to $506.56
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $397.08 | $144.49 |
| Chico, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| El Centro, CA | $396.35 | $143.76 |
| Fresno, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Hanford, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $425.22 | $152.58 |
| Madera, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Marin County, CA | $495.30 | $170.34 |
| Merced, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Modesto, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Napa, CA | $466.00 | $162.24 |
| Oxnard, CA | $423.79 | $151.38 |
| Redding, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Rest of California | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Riverside, CA | $399.23 | $146.63 |
| Sacramento, CA | $417.72 | $149.68 |
| Salinas, CA | $416.21 | $149.10 |
| San Benito County, CA | $506.56 | $174.23 |
| San Diego, CA | $427.42 | $151.78 |
| San Francisco, CA | $494.99 | $170.03 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $409.33 | $146.83 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $505.31 | $172.98 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $432.59 | $152.58 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $418.16 | $149.43 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $437.06 | $154.04 |
| Stockton, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Vallejo, CA | $465.56 | $161.80 |
| Visalia, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
| Yuba City, CA | $396.31 | $143.72 |
How the 20670 rate is calculated
Each of 20670’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.
How the rate is built · 20670
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.75
1.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.07
9.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.27
0.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
11.0900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$370.42
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20670
20670 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 20670
Implant removal, superficial hardware
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 20670
Implant removal, superficial hardware
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
20670 without 51 · national office
$370.42
Implant removal, superficial hardware
20670-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$185.21
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
20670 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 20680Implant removalDeep implant
- Choose 20670 for superficial hardware such as an accessible buried wire or pin. Choose 20680 when removal involves a deep implant and deeper dissection.
- 20650Skeletal tractionBone pin insertion
- 20650 concerns wire or pin placement for skeletal traction, with removal included when performed. 20670 is for removal of a superficial implant as a removal service.
- 20665Cranial device removalTongs or halo
- 20665 is for removal of tongs or a halo. Use 20670 for superficial orthopedic implants outside that dedicated removal service.
20670 billing questions
How is superficial removal distinguished from deep implant removal?
Use the documented implant depth and the exposure required. This code describes accessible superficial hardware; removal requiring deeper dissection is considered with 20680.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in this service.
Should modifier 50 be used for removal on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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