CPT code 21600: Rib excision, partial rib removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
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 doesn’t publish an office rate for 21600 in Maryland.
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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On this page 9 sections
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 in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | Unavailable | $604.99 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $568.88 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $635.92 |
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
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
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 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.
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%).
21600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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