CPT code 22600: Cervical fusion, posterior, one interspace2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports posterior or posterolateral fusion across one cervical interspace below C2, typically performed by a spine surgeon for a condition requiring cervical stabilization.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 22600 in Illinois.
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
On this page 9 sections
What 22600 covers
An orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon uses a posterior approach to prepare and fuse one cervical interspace below C2, joining the adjacent vertebrae with bone graft. The procedure is performed in an operating room, commonly for cervical instability or degenerative disease requiring fusion. Instrumentation or graft services may be separately reportable when performed and supported by the operative record.
Report 22600 for the first interspace treated with this technique; document the fused level and posterior approach. When additional eligible vertebral segments are fused, report add-on code 22614 for each additional segment. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available, and co-surgeons are permitted; team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
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 22600 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,552.02 |
| East St. Louis, IL | Unavailable | $1,447.44 |
| Rest of Illinois | Unavailable | $1,352.41 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,457.28 |
How the 22600 rate is calculated
Each of 22600’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 · 22600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.97
16.97 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.37
15.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice6.07
6.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
38.4100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,282.93
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 22600
22600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 22600
Cervical fusion, posterior, one interspace
| 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) | 2 | 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 · 22600
Cervical fusion, posterior, one interspace
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
22600 without 51 · national facility
$1,282.93
Cervical fusion, posterior, one interspace
22600-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$641.47
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%).
22600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 22610Spinal fusionPosterior thoracic, single level
- Both describe posterior or posterolateral fusion at one interspace; 22610 is for the thoracic region, while 22600 is for cervical levels below C2.
- 22612Spinal fusionPosterior lumbar, single level
- 22612 describes posterior or posterolateral fusion at a lumbar interspace. Use 22600 when the fused interspace is cervical and below C2.
- 22630Lumbar fusionSingle lumbar interspace
- 22630 describes lumbar posterior interbody fusion. It differs from 22600 in both spinal region and fusion approach.
22600 billing questions
When should 22600 be selected instead of 22610 or 22612?
Use 22600 for a posterior or posterolateral fusion at a cervical interspace below C2. Codes 22610 and 22612 describe the same general technique in the thoracic and lumbar regions, respectively.
How are additional fused levels reported?
Report 22600 for the initial cervical interspace and 22614 for each additional eligible vertebral segment. The operative report should identify the levels fused.
Is spinal instrumentation included in 22600?
Instrumentation is not described by 22600. When instrumentation is performed, its separate reporting depends on the documented construct and the applicable instrumentation code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment and permits co-surgeons for 22600. Team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 22600 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist