CPT code 21184: Cranial reconstruction, cranial bone2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in South Dakota

Reports operative reconstruction of cranial bone for a defect or deformity, such as after trauma, tumor removal, or congenital cranial conditions.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality

In South Dakota, Medicare pays $1,998.89 for 21184 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$1,998.89Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 21184 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 21184 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in South Dakota
  2. What 21184 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 21184 covers

Code 21184 reports surgery to reconstruct cranial bone and restore the contour or continuity of the skull. Typical clinical contexts include a cranial defect after trauma or tumor removal and selected congenital cranial deformities. Neurosurgeons and craniofacial or plastic surgeons may perform the operation, generally in a hospital operating room. The operative report should identify the defect, the bones treated, and the reconstructive work performed.

Select this code by matching the documented operation to the full descriptor and distinguishing it from other cranial reconstruction levels, including 21182 and 21183. CMS assigns 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 South Dakota compares for 21184

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 21184 runs from $1,947.36 in Arkansas to $2,721.07 in Alaska. South Dakota pays $1,998.89. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

21184 in South Dakota vs other payment areas
  1. South Dakota · this page$1,998.89
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$2,248.52+$249.63
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$2,366.68+$367.79
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$2,539.53+$540.64
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$2,469.69+$470.80
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$2,479.40+$480.51
  7. Alaska · Alaska$2,721.07+$722.18

Other areas in South Dakota first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

21184 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$1,969.91
ArkansasArkansas—$1,947.36
ArizonaArizona—$2,100.10
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$2,150.32
Chico, CACalifornia—$2,130.71
El Centro, CACalifornia—$2,131.88
Fresno, CACalifornia—$2,130.71
Hanford, CACalifornia—$2,130.71

21184 rates by state

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

Explore a state

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
21184 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 21184 in every payment locality

How the 21184 rate is calculated

Each of 21184’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 · 21184

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work37.65

37.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense19.84

19.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice7.01

7.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

64.5000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,154.36

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

The exact South Dakota inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

1,905

Code
21184
Physician work
37.65
Practice expense
19.84
Malpractice
7.01

GPCI2026.csv

94

Locality
South Dakota
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
1.000
Malpractice
0.336
Facility calculation for 21184 in South Dakota
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work37.65× 1.00037.6500
Practice expense19.84× 1.00019.8400
Malpractice7.01× 0.3362.3554
Total RVUs59.8454
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, South Dakota$1998.89

Facility: (37.65 × 1 + 19.84 × 1 + 7.01 × 0.336) × $33.4009 = $1998.89

Open 21184 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 21184

21184 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 21184

Cranial reconstruction, cranial bone

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)2Paid.
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 · 21184

Cranial reconstruction, cranial bone

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

21184 without 51 · national facility

$2,154.36

Cranial reconstruction, cranial bone

21184-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,077.18

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 21184 has changed in South Dakota

21184 · 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$1,998.89RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$1,998.89RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$1,998.89RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$1,998.89RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$2,267.91RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$2,267.91RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$2,267.91RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$2,267.91RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$2,312.99RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$2,312.99RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$2,312.99RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$2,312.99RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$2,275.23RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$2,351.43RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$2,351.43RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$2,351.43RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$2,351.43RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$2,373.41RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$2,373.41RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$2,373.41RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$2,373.41RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$2,386.23RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$2,386.23RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$2,386.23RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$2,386.23RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$2,454.90RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$2,454.90RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$2,454.90RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$2,454.90RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$2,445.10RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$2,445.10RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$2,445.10RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$2,445.10RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$2,446.26RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$2,446.26RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$2,446.26RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$2,446.26RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$2,478.84RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$2,478.84RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$2,478.84RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$2,478.84RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$2,094.98RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$2,094.98RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$2,094.98RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$2,094.98RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$2,352.42RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$2,352.42RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$2,340.72RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$2,340.72RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$2,129.40RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$2,129.40RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$2,129.40RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$2,129.40RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$2,070.70RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$2,070.70RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$2,070.70RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$2,070.70RVU13AR

Price 21184 for an earlier date of service

Where the South Dakota rate applies

South Dakota is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 485 cities and communities in South Dakota. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Aberdeen
  • Agar
  • Agency Village
  • Akaska
  • Albee
  • Alcester
  • Alexandria
  • Allen

Browse all communities in South Dakota

21184 billing questions

How do I choose 21184 instead of 21182 or 21183?

Compare the full descriptors and documented operative scope for the cranial reconstruction levels. The abbreviated CMS labels are similar, so the operative report should make clear what reconstruction was performed.

Can routine postoperative visits be billed separately?

Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included in the surgical payment.

Should modifier 50 be appended for reconstruction on both sides?

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

Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this operation?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What happens when another procedure is performed 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 21184PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,905 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for South DakotaGPCI2026.csv, line 94 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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