CPT code 27280: SI joint fusion, open, grafted, instrumented2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Montana

Report this code for open fusion of the sacroiliac joint using bone graft and instrumentation, rather than a percutaneous or minimally invasive approach.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality4.5K Medicare services in 2024

In Montana, Medicare pays $1,283.19 for 27280 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$1,283.19Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 27280 nationwide

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

We’ll open 27280 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Montana
  2. What 27280 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 27280 covers

This service is an open operation to fuse the sacroiliac joint. The surgeon exposes the joint, prepares the opposing surfaces for fusion, places bone graft, and uses instrumentation to support the construct. It is commonly performed by an orthopedic or spine surgeon in a hospital operating room for a patient undergoing surgical treatment of sacroiliac joint disease or instability.

Select this code when the operative report supports an open approach with graft and instrumentation; distinguish it from percutaneous or minimally invasive SI joint fusion codes based on the documented technique and implant placement. Documentation should identify the treated side, approach, joint preparation, graft use, and instrumentation. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.

How Montana compares for 27280

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 27280 runs from $1,124.96 in Nebraska to $1,609.71 in Miami, FL. Montana pays $1,283.19. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

27280 in Montana vs other payment areas
  1. Montana · this page$1,283.19
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$1,321.30+$38.11
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$1,418.20+$135.01
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$1,609.71+$326.52
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$1,551.56+$268.37
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$1,513.25+$230.06
  7. Alaska · Alaska$1,546.66+$263.47

Other areas in Montana first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

27280 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$1,142.22
ArkansasArkansas—$1,125.05
ArizonaArizona—$1,241.20
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$1,258.42
Chico, CACalifornia—$1,242.39
El Centro, CACalifornia—$1,243.40
Fresno, CACalifornia—$1,242.39
Hanford, CACalifornia—$1,242.39

27280 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
27280 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

See 27280 in every payment locality

How the 27280 rate is calculated

Each of 27280’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 · 27280

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work19.50

19.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.89

12.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice6.04

6.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

38.4300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,283.60

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact Montana inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

2,821

Code
27280
Physician work
19.50
Practice expense
12.89
Malpractice
6.04

GPCI2026.csv

71

Locality
Montana
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
1.000
Malpractice
0.998
Facility calculation for 27280 in Montana
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work19.50× 1.00019.5000
Practice expense12.89× 1.00012.8900
Malpractice6.04× 0.9986.0279
Total RVUs38.4179
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Montana$1283.19

Facility: (19.5 × 1 + 12.89 × 1 + 6.04 × 0.998) × $33.4009 = $1283.19

Open 27280 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 27280

27280 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27280

SI joint fusion, open, grafted, instrumented

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 27280

SI joint fusion, open, grafted, instrumented

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

27280 without 50 · national facility

$1,283.60

SI joint fusion, open, grafted, instrumented

27280-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,925.40

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).

When to use modifier 50

How 27280 has changed in Montana

27280 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$1,283.19RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$1,283.19RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$1,283.19RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$1,283.19RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$1,338.80RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$1,338.80RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$1,338.80RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$1,338.80RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$1,365.07RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$1,365.07RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$1,365.07RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$1,365.07RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$1,342.79RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$1,380.97RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$1,380.97RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$1,380.97RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$1,380.97RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$1,394.58RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$1,394.58RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$1,394.58RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$1,394.58RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$1,395.19RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$1,395.19RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$1,395.19RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$1,395.19RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$1,473.25RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$1,473.25RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$1,473.25RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$1,473.25RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$1,535.80RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$1,535.80RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$1,535.80RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$1,535.80RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$1,533.11RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$1,533.11RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$1,533.11RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$1,533.11RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$1,497.57RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$1,497.57RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$1,497.57RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$1,497.57RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$1,457.42RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$1,457.42RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$1,457.42RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$1,457.42RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$1,153.60RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$1,153.60RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$1,147.86RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$1,147.86RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$1,082.57RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$1,082.57RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$1,082.57RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$1,082.57RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$1,063.67RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$1,063.67RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$1,063.67RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$1,063.67RVU13AR

Price 27280 for an earlier date of service

Where the Montana rate applies

Montana is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 497 cities and communities in Montana. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Absarokee
  • Acton
  • Alberton
  • Alder
  • Alzada
  • Amsterdam
  • Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
  • Antelope

Browse all communities in Montana

27280 billing questions

How does this code differ from percutaneous SI joint fusion codes?

Use this code for an open operation with bone graft and instrumentation. Codes 27278 and 27279 describe percutaneous or minimally invasive approaches distinguished by implant placement.

What operative details support reporting this code?

Document the open approach, the SI joint treated, preparation of the joint surfaces, bone graft use, and placement of instrumentation.

Can both sides be reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Does the global period include routine postoperative care?

Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50% under 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
RVUs for 27280PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,821 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for MontanaGPCI2026.csv, line 71 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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