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CPT code 23530: Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Open surgical treatment of an acute or chronic sternoclavicular dislocation, reported when the dislocated joint is addressed through an operative approach.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities18 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $549.11 for 23530 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 23530

Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
7.29
Total RVUs
16.44
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$549.11

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 23530 →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 23530 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 23530 covers

This service involves open surgery to treat a dislocation where the medial clavicle meets the sternum. Orthopedic or trauma surgeons may perform it for an acute injury or persistent, chronic displacement when operative treatment is chosen. The operative report should establish the sternoclavicular site and describe the open treatment performed; this code represents the option without graft use.

Report 23532 instead when the open sternoclavicular dislocation treatment includes a graft. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are 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 23530 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

23530 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$495.01
AlaskaUnavailable$664.28
ArizonaUnavailable$533.82
ArkansasUnavailable$488.32
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$564.25
Austin, TXUnavailable$558.48
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$558.03
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$583.75
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$522.58
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$537.45

23530 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
23530 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 23530 rate is calculated

Each of 23530’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 · 23530

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.29

7.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.61

7.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.54

1.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

16.4400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$549.11

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 23530

23530 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 23530

Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 23530

Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft

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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

23530 without 50 · national facility

$549.11

Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft

23530-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$823.67

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

23530 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 23530

    Joint dislocation surgery, sternoclavicular, without graft7.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23532

    Joint reconstruction, fascial graft8 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23520

    Sternoclavicular treatment, without manipulation2.23 wRVU

    $270.55

  • 23525

    Joint reduction, sternoclavicular with manipulation3.7 wRVU

    $446.24

  • 23550

    AC joint repair, open treatment without graft7.4 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

23532Joint reconstructionFascial graft
Both codes address open treatment of a sternoclavicular dislocation. Choose 23532 when a graft is used; 23530 is the option without graft use.
23520Sternoclavicular treatmentWithout manipulation
23520 describes closed treatment without manipulation. Use 23530 when the dislocation is treated through an open surgical approach.
23525Joint reductionSternoclavicular with manipulation
23525 is closed treatment with manipulation, whereas 23530 is open surgical treatment of the sternoclavicular dislocation.
23550AC joint repairOpen treatment without graft
23550 addresses an acromioclavicular dislocation, at the joint between the clavicle and acromion. Code 23530 is for the sternoclavicular joint.

Codes related to 23530

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

Codes related to 23530
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
23532Joint reconstruction, fascial graftOpen sternoclavicular dislocation treatment when a graft is used.No office rate
Used instead
23520Sternoclavicular treatment, without manipulationClosed treatment of a sternoclavicular dislocation without manipulation.$237.50–$351.18
23525Joint reduction, sternoclavicular with manipulationClosed treatment of a sternoclavicular dislocation with manipulation.$391.66–$578.54

23530 billing questions

When should 23530 be used instead of 23532?

Use 23530 for open treatment of a sternoclavicular dislocation without a graft. Use 23532 when the treatment includes graft use.

How does 23530 differ from 23520 or 23525?

23530 represents open surgical treatment. Codes 23520 and 23525 describe closed treatment, with the latter specifying manipulation.

What documentation supports 23530?

Document the sternoclavicular dislocation, its acute or chronic status, and the open treatment performed. The operative record should also make clear whether a graft was used.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can 23530 be reported bilaterally or with an assistant?

Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%, and assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.

How are other same-session procedures paid?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.

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 23530PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,223 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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