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CPT code 21620: Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports limited removal of sternal bone, including xiphoidectomy, for a focal problem such as persistent pain at the xiphoid process.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities519 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $500.35 for 21620 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 21620

Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum removal

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
7.1
Total RVUs
14.98
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$500.35

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 21620 →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 21620 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 21620 covers

A surgeon removes a limited portion of the sternum. A familiar use is xiphoidectomy for persistent, localized pain arising from the xiphoid process; the procedure may also address another focal sternal bony problem when partial bone removal is performed. It is generally performed in an operating room by a thoracic or general surgeon, rather than as an office procedure.

Report the code when the operative report supports partial removal of sternal bone, not simply soft-tissue work or cleaning infected tissue. Documentation should identify the sternal site, the reason for surgery, and the extent of bone removed. Distinguish limited removal from sternal debridement and from a more extensive radical resection. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 21620 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

21620 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$449.69
AlaskaUnavailable$606.50
ArizonaUnavailable$485.69
ArkansasUnavailable$443.47
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$515.90
Austin, TXUnavailable$506.20
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$502.14
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$532.78
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$477.75
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$487.75

21620 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
21620 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 21620 rate is calculated

Each of 21620’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 · 21620

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.10

7.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.16

6.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.72

1.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

14.9800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$500.35

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 21620

21620 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 21620

Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum 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 · 21620

Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum 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

21620 without 51 · national facility

$500.35

Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum removal

21620-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$250.18

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

21620 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 21620

    Sternal ostectomy, partial sternum removal7.1 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21600

    Rib excision, partial rib removal7.08 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21627

    Sternal debridement7.12 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 21630

    Sternum resection, radical resection18.7 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

21600Rib excisionPartial rib removal
This code concerns partial removal of a rib. Use 21620 when the operative target is sternal bone, including the xiphoid process.
21627Sternal debridement
21627 describes sternal debridement. Choose based on whether the documented operation is debridement or limited removal of sternal bone.
21630Sternum resectionRadical resection
21630 is for radical sternal resection. This code is for a limited portion of the sternum rather than a radical resection.

Codes related to 21620

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

Codes related to 21620
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
21600Rib excision, partial rib removalLimited chest-wall bone removal at the rib rather than the sternum.No office rate
21630Sternum resection, radical resectionMore extensive radical resection of the sternum.No office rate
Used instead
21627Sternal debridementSternal debridement when the documented service is removal of diseased or nonviable tissue.No office rate

21620 billing questions

When is this code appropriate for xiphoidectomy?

Use it when the surgeon removes part of the sternum at the xiphoid for a focal problem such as persistent localized xiphoid pain. The operative report should establish that sternal bone was removed.

How does this differ from sternal debridement?

This code represents partial sternal bone removal. When the documented service is debridement of the sternum, compare it with 21627 rather than selecting this code based only on the fact that bone was treated.

When should a more extensive sternum resection be considered?

Compare with 21630 when the operation involves radical resection of the sternum rather than limited removal. The operative report should support the extent of resection.

Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral work?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code because of its descriptor or anatomy.

What postoperative care is included?

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

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

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 21620PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,015 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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