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CPT code 21600: Rib excision, partial rib removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

A surgeon removes a portion of a rib for a localized chest-wall problem when the operation is not a first-rib or tumor-resection service.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities494 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $567.82 for 21600 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 21600

Rib excision, partial rib removal

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
7.08
Total RVUs
17.00
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$567.82

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 21600 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 21600 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 21600 covers

This service covers surgical removal of part of a rib, rather than an entire rib or a broader chest-wall tumor resection. It may be performed by a thoracic or other surgeon for a localized rib problem, with the operative report identifying the rib and the portion removed. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room; Medicare recorded facility services for this code in 2024.

Report 21600 when the procedure is a partial rib excision and the operative work supports that extent. A first or cervical rib operation, or an operation removing a chest-wall tumor with ribs, may fit a more specific code instead. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 21600 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

21600 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$509.06
AlaskaUnavailable$678.75
ArizonaUnavailable$551.20
ArkansasUnavailable$501.79
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$584.21
Austin, TXUnavailable$577.85
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$576.79
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$604.99
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$539.06
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$554.89

21600 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
21600 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

How the 21600 rate is calculated

Each of 21600’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 · 21600

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.08

7.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.24

8.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.68

1.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

17.0000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$567.82

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 21600

21600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 21600

Rib excision, partial rib removal

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)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 21600

Rib excision, partial rib removal

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

21600 without 51 · national facility

$567.82

Rib excision, partial rib removal

21600-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$283.91

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

21600 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 21600

    Rib excision, partial rib removal7.08 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21601

    Chest wall excision, tumor excision including ribs17.34 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21615

    Rib excision, first and/or cervical rib10.19 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21616

    Rib excision, with sympathectomy12.37 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

21601Chest wall excisionTumor excision including ribs
Choose 21601 when the operation is a chest-wall tumor excision involving ribs. Choose 21600 for partial rib removal that is not part of that tumor-resection service.
21615Rib excisionFirst and/or cervical rib
21615 is specific to excision of the first and/or a cervical rib. Code 21600 describes partial rib removal in a different anatomic circumstance.
21616Rib excisionWith sympathectomy
21616 applies to first and/or cervical rib excision with the specified additional surgical work; 21600 is for partial rib excision without that specific service.

Codes related to 21600

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 21600
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
21601Chest wall excision, tumor excision including ribsFor chest-wall tumor excision involving ribs, rather than a standalone partial rib excision.No office rate
21615Rib excision, first and/or cervical ribFor excision involving the first and/or a cervical rib.No office rate
21616Rib excision, with sympathectomyFor first and/or cervical rib excision with the specified additional surgical work.No office rate

21600 billing questions

When should 21600 be selected instead of a chest-wall tumor code?

Use 21600 for partial rib removal when the operation is not a chest-wall tumor resection. When the procedure removes a chest-wall tumor with ribs, compare the operative work with 21601.

Can modifier 50 be used when portions of ribs on both sides are removed?

CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 21600. Modifier 50 should not be used for this code.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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
RVUs for 21600PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,008 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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