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CPT code 22855: Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Removal of anterior spinal fixation hardware, reported when a surgeon removes a previously placed construct during revision or other spine surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,050.79 for 22855 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 22855

Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
15.46
Total RVUs
31.46
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,050.79

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 22855 →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 22855 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 22855 covers

This service covers surgical removal of fixation hardware placed along the front of the spine, such as an anterior plate, screws, or related instrumentation. It is typically performed by an orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon during revision surgery, including cases involving hardware failure, infection, pain, or a change in the treatment plan. The work may occur during a larger spinal operation or as a separate procedure in a facility setting.

Report the code when the operative documentation identifies anterior spinal instrumentation and describes its removal. Distinguish it from removal of posterior hardware based on the approach and location of the construct. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate.

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 22855 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

22855 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$933.42
AlaskaUnavailable$1,259.59
ArizonaUnavailable$1,015.73
ArkansasUnavailable$919.14
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,091.17
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,054.67
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,032.20
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,124.91
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,005.80
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,015.58

22855 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
22855 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 22855 rate is calculated

Each of 22855’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 · 22855

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work15.46

15.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.10

11.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice4.90

4.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

31.4600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,050.79

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 22855

22855 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 22855

Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation

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 · 22855

Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation

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

22855 without 51 · national facility

$1,050.79

Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation

22855-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$525.40

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

22855 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 22855

    Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation15.46 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22850

    Spinal hardware removal, posterior, nonsegmental9.57 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22852

    Spinal hardware removal, posterior segmental construct9.14 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22845

    Anterior fixation, two to three vertebral segments11.64 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22864

    Disc removal, cervical, single interspace28.67 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

22850Spinal hardware removalPosterior, nonsegmental
This code is for anterior instrumentation removal; 22850 is used for removal of posterior nonsegmental instrumentation.
22852Spinal hardware removalPosterior segmental construct
This code covers removal of anterior instrumentation. Use 22852 for removal of posterior segmental instrumentation.
22845Anterior fixationTwo to three vertebral segments
22845 describes placement of anterior instrumentation across 2 or 3 vertebral segments, not removal of an existing construct.
22864Disc removalCervical, single interspace
22864 is for removal of a cervical artificial disc. This code concerns spinal fixation instrumentation rather than a disc prosthesis.

Codes related to 22855

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

Codes related to 22855
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
22850Spinal hardware removal, posterior, nonsegmentalRemoval code for posterior nonsegmental spinal instrumentation.No office rate
22852Spinal hardware removal, posterior segmental constructRemoval code for posterior segmental spinal instrumentation.No office rate
Often billed with
22845Anterior fixation, two to three vertebral segmentsMay accompany removal when new anterior fixation is placed across 2 or 3 vertebral segments.No office rate
22846Spinal fixation, anterior, four to seven segmentsMay accompany removal when new anterior fixation is placed across 4 to 7 vertebral segments.No office rate
22847Spinal fixation, anterior, 7–12 segmentsMay accompany removal when new anterior fixation is placed across 8 or more vertebral segments.No office rate

22855 billing questions

How is this distinguished from posterior instrumentation removal?

Use this code for removal of anterior spinal instrumentation. Codes 22850 and 22852 describe removal of posterior instrumentation, with the applicable code depending on the posterior construct.

Can this be reported with new anterior fixation placement?

It may be reported with a new anterior instrumentation code when the surgeon removes the prior construct and places new fixation during the same operation. The record should describe both the removal and the new placement.

Should modifier 50 be appended?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this service, and modifier 50 is not appropriate.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the anterior location and type of instrumentation, the removal performed, and the clinical reason for removing it. The operative report should make clear that the work was removal of the spinal construct, not simply exposure or revision of another structure.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. Other same-session procedures may also trigger 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 22855PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,126 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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