CPT code 24149: Elbow resection, radical extent2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 24149 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.

What 24149 covers

An orthopedic surgeon, often working in orthopedic oncology, uses this service for extensive removal of a tumor involving the elbow. The operation removes the tumor with the surrounding involved tissue and may include affected elbow structures or bone. It is generally performed in a hospital operating room when a limited excision would not represent the planned extent of removal.

Select this code when the operative report supports radical resection at the elbow; document the tumor location and the structures removed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 24149 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

How the 24149 rate is calculated

Each of 24149’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 24149

24149 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

24149 compared with similar codes

How to choose

24150Bone tumor resectionDistal or shaft humerus

Use 24150 when the radical tumor resection is centered on the distal or shaft humerus; 24149 identifies radical resection involving the elbow.

24152Tumor resectionRadial head and neck

Use 24152 for radical tumor resection centered on the radial head or neck. The operative anatomy distinguishes it from radical elbow resection.

24155Elbow resectionJoint resection

24155 reports resection of the elbow joint. Choose 24149 when the documented operation is a radical resection for an elbow tumor.

24140Bone excisionPartial humerus

24140 describes partial excision of humeral bone, not radical elbow tumor resection. The documented extent and target of surgery guide selection.

Codes related to 24149

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