CPT code 25392: Forearm osteotomy, both bones shortened2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports operative shortening of both forearm bones when correcting a documented length or alignment problem that requires treatment of the radius and ulna.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25392 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 25392 covers
This operation shortens both the radius and ulna through bone cuts, with stabilization as needed to maintain the intended alignment during healing. It is typically performed by an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand or upper-extremity surgery in an operating room. The clinical plan must call for shortening both bones; a procedure addressing only one forearm bone belongs to a different code in the shortening family.
Report the service when the operative work documents shortening of both bones, rather than lengthening or revision of an existing deformity. The 90-day global period includes 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 the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 25392 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 | $938.05 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $930.22 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $985.22 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $1,071.40 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $1,028.22 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $974.53 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $962.27 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $962.73 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $958.92 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $1,097.77 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $972.30 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $1,067.96 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $945.11 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $1,083.70 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $974.22 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $960.00 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $983.15 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $1,023.26 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $929.71 |
How the 25392 rate is calculated
Each of 25392’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 · 25392
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work14.22
14.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.72
10.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.03
3.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
27.9700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$934.22
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25392
25392 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25392
Forearm osteotomy, both bones shortened
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 25392
Forearm osteotomy, both bones shortened
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
25392 without 50 · national facility
$934.22
Forearm osteotomy, both bones shortened
25392-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,401.33
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).
25392 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25390Bone shorteningRadius or ulna
- Choose 25390 when the operative shortening involves the radius or ulna alone. This code is for shortening both bones.
- 25391Bone lengtheningOne forearm bone
- 25391 describes lengthening the radius or ulna. This code describes shortening both forearm bones.
- 25393Forearm lengtheningBoth forearm bones
- Both codes involve the radius and ulna, but 25393 is for lengthening; this code is for shortening.
25392 billing questions
When should this code be used instead of 25390?
Use this code when the surgeon shortens both the radius and ulna. Code 25390 describes shortening of the radius or ulna, rather than both bones.
How is this code different from 25393?
This code represents shortening of both forearm bones; 25393 represents lengthening both bones. The operative plan and documented bone work determine the choice.
Does the global period include postoperative care?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery paid?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; with modifier 50, payment is at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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
Fee sheets
Put 25392 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet