CPT code 24120: Bone lesion removal, radius or ulna, no graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports curettage or excision of a bone cyst or benign tumor in the radius or ulna when the procedure does not include bone grafting.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 24120 in California.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 24120 covers
An orthopedic surgeon removes or curettes a bone cyst or benign tumor in the radius or ulna. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, with the operative approach and extent guided by the lesion’s location and the bone involved. The removed tissue may be submitted for examination, but the defining service is treatment of the bone lesion rather than joint biopsy or removal of the radial head.
Choose this code when the operative report identifies a cyst or benign tumor in the radius or ulna and describes excision or curettage without grafting. Use the graft-specific sibling when autograft or allograft is placed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%; bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant is paid only when medical necessity is documented; co-surgeons and team surgery 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 24120 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $517.17 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $513.68 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $545.44 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $602.85 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $575.81 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $540.47 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $527.87 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $533.79 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $531.72 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $617.32 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $540.66 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $601.32 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $523.80 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $611.10 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $542.96 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $532.73 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $548.09 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $573.61 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $513.46 |
How the 24120 rate is calculated
Each of 24120’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 · 24120
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.65
6.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.20
7.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.34
1.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.1900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$507.36
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 24120
24120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 24120
Bone lesion removal, radius or ulna, no graft
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not 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 · 24120
Bone lesion removal, radius or ulna, no 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
24120 without 50 · national facility
$507.36
Bone lesion removal, radius or ulna, no graft
24120-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$761.04
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).
24120 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 24110Bone lesion excisionHumerus, without graft
- Use 24110 for the comparable cyst or benign-tumor procedure on the humerus; use 24120 for the radius or ulna.
- 24125Bone lesion surgeryRadius, with autograft
- 24125 includes autograft with radius or ulna lesion treatment. Choose 24120 when no graft is used.
- 24126Bone lesion surgeryRadius, with allograft
- 24126 identifies radius or ulna lesion treatment with allograft. Choose 24120 when the procedure does not include grafting.
24120 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 24125 or 24126?
Use 24120 for radius or ulna cyst or benign-tumor curettage or excision without grafting. The sibling codes distinguish procedures that include autograft or allograft.
How does this differ from code 24110?
The lesion procedure is similar, but 24110 is for the humerus. Code 24120 applies to the radius or ulna.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the radius or ulna, characterize the treated lesion as a cyst or benign tumor, describe excision or curettage, and clarify whether grafting was performed.
How is the 90-day global period handled?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can this procedure be reported bilaterally?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, modifier 50 is associated with payment at 150%.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
CMS payment for an assistant at surgery requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
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