CPT code 20910: Cartilage harvest, costal cartilage2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico

Reports harvesting cartilage from a rib for grafting, such as structural support in nasal or other reconstructive surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality67 Medicare services in 2024

In New Mexico, Medicare pays $451.28 for 20910 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$451.28Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 20910 nationwide

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

We’ll open 20910 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in New Mexico
  2. What 20910 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 20910 covers

This service covers obtaining costal cartilage from the patient for use as a graft. A surgeon typically harvests it through a donor-site incision during reconstructive surgery, including nasal reconstruction or rhinoplasty when additional structural cartilage is needed. The graft may provide support or shape at a separate recipient site; the operative report should identify the rib donor site and the graft procurement performed.

Report the code for costal cartilage harvest, rather than for septal cartilage or a bone, fascia, or tendon graft. Documentation should connect the harvested material to the grafting procedure and describe the donor-site work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.

How New Mexico compares for 20910

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 20910 runs from $410.69 in Arkansas to $574.43 in San Benito County, CA. New Mexico pays $451.28. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

20910 in New Mexico vs other payment areas
  1. New Mexico · this page$451.28
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$503.34+$52.06
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$521.70+$70.42
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$532.73+$81.45
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$516.17+$64.89
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$537.74+$86.46
  7. Alaska · Alaska$552.66+$101.38

Other areas in New Mexico first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

20910 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$416.58
ArkansasArkansas—$410.69
ArizonaArizona—$450.80
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$475.91
Chico, CACalifornia—$472.74
El Centro, CACalifornia—$472.94
Fresno, CACalifornia—$472.74
Hanford, CACalifornia—$472.74

20910 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
20910 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

See 20910 in every payment locality

How the 20910 rate is calculated

Each of 20910’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 · 20910

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work5.39

5.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.35

7.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.15

1.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

13.8900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$463.94

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact New Mexico inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

1,806

Code
20910
Physician work
5.39
Practice expense
7.35
Malpractice
1.15

GPCI2026.csv

77

Locality
New Mexico
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.917
Malpractice
1.201
Facility calculation for 20910 in New Mexico
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work5.39× 1.0005.3900
Practice expense7.35× 0.9176.7400
Malpractice1.15× 1.2011.3811
Total RVUs13.5111
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, New Mexico$451.28

Facility: (5.39 × 1 + 7.35 × 0.917 + 1.15 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $451.28

Open 20910 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 20910

20910 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 20910

Cartilage harvest, costal cartilage

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 20910

Cartilage harvest, costal cartilage

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

20910 without 51 · national facility

$463.94

Cartilage harvest, costal cartilage

20910-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$231.97

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%).

When to use modifier 51

How 20910 has changed in New Mexico

20910 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$451.28RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$451.28RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$451.28RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$451.28RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$457.73RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$457.73RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$457.73RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$457.73RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$466.90RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$466.90RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$466.90RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$466.90RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$459.28RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$467.12RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$467.12RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$467.12RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$467.12RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$467.26RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$467.26RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$467.26RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$467.26RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$466.88RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$466.88RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$466.88RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$466.88RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$472.51RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$472.51RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$472.51RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$472.51RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$475.78RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$475.78RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$475.78RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$475.78RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$474.60RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$474.60RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$474.60RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$474.60RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$454.03RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$454.03RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$454.03RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$454.03RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$411.65RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$411.65RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$411.65RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$411.65RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$457.11RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$457.11RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$454.84RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$454.84RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$406.24RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$406.24RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$406.24RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$406.24RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$437.87RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$437.87RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$437.87RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$437.87RVU13AR

Price 20910 for an earlier date of service

Where the New Mexico rate applies

New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Abeytas
  • Abiquiu
  • Acomita Lake
  • Adelino
  • Agua Fria
  • Alamillo
  • Alamo
  • Alamogordo

Browse all communities in New Mexico

20910 billing questions

How does this differ from 20912?

This code is for harvesting costal cartilage from a rib. Use 20912 when the graft is harvested from the nasal septum.

Can this be reported with the reconstruction that uses the graft?

It represents procurement of costal cartilage for grafting during reconstructive surgery. Document the donor-site work and the graft's role in the operative report.

Should modifier 50 be used when cartilage is taken from both sides?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What happens when this is performed with other procedures in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure 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
RVUs for 20910PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,806 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for New MexicoGPCI2026.csv, line 77 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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