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CPT code 22864: Disc removal, cervical, single interspace2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports anterior removal of a cervical artificial disc at one interspace, without the revision or replacement service represented by a different code.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities59 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,021.09 for 22864 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 22864

Disc removal, cervical, single interspace

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
28.67
Total RVUs
60.51
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,021.09

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 22864 →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 22864 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 22864 covers

A spine surgeon uses an anterior approach to remove an implanted artificial disc from one cervical interspace. This service may be performed when a cervical disc prosthesis must be taken out, such as during treatment of a device-related problem or when the surgical plan changes. It is reported for removal of the arthroplasty device, not simply removal of separate anterior fixation hardware.

The operative report should identify the cervical interspace, anterior approach, and removal performed, and distinguish removal alone from revision or replacement of the prosthesis. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery 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% reduction. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; 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 22864 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

22864 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,763.06
AlaskaUnavailable$2,360.94
ArizonaUnavailable$1,942.38
ArkansasUnavailable$1,731.88
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$2,115.87
Austin, TXUnavailable$2,015.06
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,944.23
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$2,180.43
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,933.07
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,933.76

22864 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Explore a state

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
22864 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 22864 rate is calculated

Each of 22864’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 · 22864

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work28.67

28.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense19.72

19.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice12.12

12.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

60.5100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,021.09

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 22864

22864 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 22864

Disc removal, cervical, single interspace

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)2Permitted.
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 · 22864

Disc removal, cervical, single 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.

  • 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

22864 without 51 · national facility

$2,021.09

Disc removal, cervical, single interspace

22864-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,010.55

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

22864 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 22864

    Disc removal, cervical, single interspace28.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22861

    Disc revision, single cervical interspace32.53 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22865

    Disc removal, single lumbar interspace30.96 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 22855

    Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentation15.46 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

22861Disc revisionSingle cervical interspace
Choose 22864 for removal of a cervical artificial disc without revision or replacement. Choose 22861 when the service revises or replaces the cervical prosthesis.
22865Disc removalSingle lumbar interspace
Both codes describe removal of an artificial disc at one interspace; 22864 is for the cervical region and 22865 for the lumbar region.
22855Hardware removalAnterior spinal instrumentation
22864 removes the artificial disc prosthesis. 22855 concerns removal of anterior instrumentation, such as separate fixation hardware.

Codes related to 22864

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

Codes related to 22864
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
22861Disc revision, single cervical interspaceUsed for revision or replacement of a cervical artificial disc rather than removal alone.No office rate
22855Hardware removal, anterior spinal instrumentationRemoves anterior instrumentation, not the artificial disc prosthesis itself.No office rate
Same family
22865Disc removal, single lumbar interspaceRemoval of an artificial disc at a single lumbar interspace.No office rate

22864 billing questions

When should this code be chosen instead of 22861?

Use this code when the cervical artificial disc is removed without the revision or replacement service. Code 22861 describes revision or replacement of a cervical artificial disc.

Does this code cover removal of anterior fixation hardware?

No. It represents removal of the artificial disc prosthesis. Code 22855 concerns removal of anterior instrumentation, which is a different target.

What global period applies?

CMS assigns a 90-day global period for major surgery. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons for this service. Team surgery is not permitted.

Can modifier 50 be used for removal at two sides?

No. Bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect payment?

For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% 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 22864PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,134 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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