CPT code 20912: Cartilage graft, nasal septum2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Harvest of nasal septal cartilage for grafting during nasal reconstruction is reported when the surgeon obtains cartilage separately from recipient-site work.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 20912 in Florida.
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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What 20912 covers
A surgeon harvests cartilage from the nasal septum for use as graft material in a nasal reconstruction. Otolaryngologists, facial plastic surgeons, and plastic surgeons may perform the harvest during an operative repair or reconstructive procedure. The harvested cartilage can support or reshape nasal structures, while the recipient-site procedure addresses the underlying deformity or defect.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports a distinct harvest of septal cartilage for grafting, alongside the procedure using the graft when separately reportable. The code has a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. 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.
Where 20912 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Unavailable | $464.65 |
| Miami, FL | Unavailable | $494.02 |
| Rest of Florida | Unavailable | $443.71 |
How the 20912 rate is calculated
Each of 20912’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 · 20912
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.38
6.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.65
5.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.00
1.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
13.0300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$435.21
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20912
20912 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 20912
Cartilage graft, nasal septum
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 20912
Cartilage graft, nasal septum
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
20912 without 51 · national facility
$435.21
Cartilage graft, nasal septum
20912-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$217.61
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%).
20912 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 20910Cartilage harvestCostal cartilage
- Choose 20912 for septal cartilage harvest; 20910 identifies costochondral cartilage harvest.
- 20920Fascia graftFascia lata harvest
- 20920 covers fascia harvest for grafting, not cartilage obtained from the nasal septum.
- 20900Bone graft harvestMinor or small graft
- 20900 is for bone graft harvest; use 20912 when the harvested graft material is nasal septal cartilage.
- 30465Nasal stenosis repairStructural vestibular repair
- 30465 describes repair of nasal vestibular stenosis. It is a recipient-site procedure, not the septal cartilage harvest itself.
20912 billing questions
How is this different from 20910?
This code is for cartilage harvested from the nasal septum. Code 20910 is used for costochondral cartilage harvest.
Can the graft harvest be reported with the nasal reconstruction?
Report the harvest with the recipient-site procedure when the surgeon separately obtains septal cartilage for grafting and the documentation supports both services. Check applicable coding edits for the specific procedure pair.
Does this code include postoperative visits?
Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used when cartilage is taken from both sides of the septum?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is limited to cases with documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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