CPT code 25120: Bone lesion removal, radius or ulna, without graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $475.29 for 25120 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 25120 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses this service to remove or curette a benign bone cyst or tumor located in the radius or ulna. The operation treats a lesion in the forearm bone itself, not a ganglion, tendon-sheath growth, or other soft-tissue mass. It is typically performed in an operating room, with the operative report identifying the affected bone and describing the lesion treatment. A specimen may be submitted for pathologic examination when clinically indicated.

Report 25120 when the documented procedure is excision or curettage of the radius or ulna lesion and the service does not include bone grafting. The operative note should support the bone involved, lesion, and work performed; use a grafting sibling when grafting is part of the procedure. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure situation, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 for bilateral surgery is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation, 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 25120 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

25120 rates by state

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

How the 25120 rate is calculated

Each of 25120’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 25120

25120 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

25120 compared with similar codes

How to choose

25125Bone lesion excisionForearm, with autograft

Choose 25125 when the forearm bone-lesion procedure includes grafting; 25120 describes lesion removal or curettage without grafting.

25115Lesion excisionWrist or forearm

25115 concerns a wrist or forearm soft-tissue lesion. Use 25120 when the treated lesion is in the radius or ulna.

25130Wrist bone lesionWithout bone graft

25130 is for a benign bone cyst or tumor in a carpal bone; 25120 is for the radius or ulna.

Codes related to 25120

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