CPT code 21025: Bone excision, mandible2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports surgical removal of mandibular bone, such as devitalized bone in osteomyelitis, when the operation is an excision rather than a lesion-specific procedure.
Medicare pays $870.37–$1,063.23 for 21025 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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What 21025 covers
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon or another qualified surgeon may use this service to remove a defined portion of the mandible, including devitalized bone associated with osteomyelitis. The operation may take place in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting. The operative report should identify the mandibular site, the bone removed, and the clinical reason for excision; a diagnosis alone does not establish which procedure code describes the work.
Select 21025 for mandibular bone excision, distinguishing it from codes for a specified lesion, exostosis, or more extensive jaw operation. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 21025 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
$870.37 to $1063.23
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $874.21 | $626.02 |
| Chico, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| El Centro, CA | $870.59 | $622.39 |
| Fresno, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Hanford, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $924.66 | $656.76 |
| Madera, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Marin County, CA | $1,039.94 | $720.63 |
| Merced, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Modesto, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Napa, CA | $988.42 | $689.95 |
| Oxnard, CA | $918.15 | $650.48 |
| Redding, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Rest of California | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Riverside, CA | $884.56 | $636.37 |
| Sacramento, CA | $908.04 | $644.67 |
| Salinas, CA | $904.53 | $642.06 |
| San Benito County, CA | $1,063.23 | $736.68 |
| San Diego, CA | $921.84 | $650.99 |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,038.45 | $719.14 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $890.56 | $632.62 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $1,057.15 | $730.60 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $927.56 | $652.41 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $906.83 | $642.78 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $936.60 | $658.51 |
| Stockton, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Vallejo, CA | $986.28 | $687.81 |
| Visalia, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
| Yuba City, CA | $870.37 | $622.17 |
How the 21025 rate is calculated
Each of 21025’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 · 21025
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.78
9.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.06
14.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.31
1.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.1500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$840.03
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 21025
21025 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 21025
Bone excision, mandible
| 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) | 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) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 21025
Bone excision, mandible
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
21025 without 51 · national office
$840.03
Bone excision, mandible
21025-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$420.02
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%).
21025 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 21026Facial bone excisionOne or more facial bones
- 21025 is specific to the mandible; 21026 describes excision of facial bone more generally.
- 21031Exostosis removalMandible
- Choose 21031 when the target is a mandibular exostosis. 21025 describes excision of mandibular bone without that specific target.
- 21040Mandibular lesion excisionIntraoral approach
- 21040 is for a mandibular lesion procedure. Choose 21025 when the operative work is excision of bone rather than the lesion-specific service.
- 21045Mandible tumor resectionExtensive malignant resection
- 21045 describes an extensive jaw operation. Use 21025 for mandibular bone excision when the documented procedure does not meet the extensive-operation criteria.
21025 billing questions
How is 21025 different from removal of a mandibular lesion?
Use 21025 when the documented operation is excision of mandibular bone. If the procedure is directed at a specified lesion and a lesion-specific code describes the work, consider that code instead.
Is modifier 50 appropriate when bone is removed on both sides?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to 21025, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid for 21025?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens if another procedure is performed in the same session?
Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the other procedures to 50% under the standard multiple-procedure rule.
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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