CPT code 23550: AC joint repair, open treatment without graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $540.76 for 23550 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 23550 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses an open approach to treat an acromioclavicular joint dislocation, typically by repairing or stabilizing the disrupted joint and supporting ligaments. The injury is commonly a traumatic separation at the top of the shoulder. This code covers open treatment without the graft-based reconstruction represented by its related code, 23552. These procedures are generally performed in a surgical facility.

Select the code based on the documented joint injury and the treatment actually performed: open repair or stabilization without a graft, rather than closed management or treatment of a clavicle fracture. The operative report should identify the acromioclavicular dislocation and describe the open treatment. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 23550 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

23550 rates by state

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

How the 23550 rate is calculated

Each of 23550’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 23550

23550 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

23550 compared with similar codes

How to choose

23540AC joint dislocationWithout manipulation

23540 is closed treatment without manipulation. Choose 23550 when the surgeon performs open treatment of the acromioclavicular dislocation.

23545AC joint treatmentClosed, with manipulation

23545 is closed treatment with manipulation; 23550 describes open surgical treatment.

23552AC joint reconstructionWith graft

Both describe open treatment of an acromioclavicular dislocation; 23552 is the graft-based reconstruction code.

23530Joint dislocation surgerySternoclavicular, without graft

23530 treats a sternoclavicular dislocation. Code 23550 is for an acromioclavicular dislocation.

Codes related to 23550

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates