CPT code 27612: Ankle exploration, open joint exploration2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports open surgical exploration of the ankle joint when the operative service is inspection of the joint rather than a separately defined procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27612 in Missouri.
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 27612 covers
Ankle joint exploration uses an open surgical approach to expose and inspect the joint. Orthopedic surgeons, including foot and ankle specialists, may perform it in an operating room when examination or imaging has not established the source of an intra-articular problem, or when direct inspection is needed during surgery. The operative report should identify the ankle joint explored, the reason for exploration, the approach, and the findings or actions taken.
Select this code when the documented service supports ankle joint exploration, rather than a more specific procedure such as removal of joint lining or biopsy of a lower-leg soft-tissue mass. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, payment is 150%. An assistant at surgery 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 27612 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $526.19 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $530.27 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $508.03 |
How the 27612 rate is calculated
Each of 27612’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 · 27612
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.95
7.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.01
7.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.25
1.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$541.43
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27612
27612 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27612
Ankle exploration, open joint exploration
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 27612
Ankle exploration, open joint exploration
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
27612 without 50 · national facility
$541.43
Ankle exploration, open joint exploration
27612-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$812.14
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).
27612 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27610Ankle arthrotomyExploration, drainage, or foreign body
- Both concern ankle arthrotomy services. Choose based on the procedure actually documented and the complete CPT descriptor, rather than the shared ankle-joint context.
- 27620Ankle arthrotomyWith or without biopsy
- This is another ankle joint exploration or treatment code. The operative details and the complete descriptor determine which code fits.
- 27625Ankle synovectomyStandard extent
- Use the synovectomy code when the surgeon removes ankle joint lining; exploration alone is distinct from that tissue-removal work.
- 27613Soft-tissue biopsySuperficial leg or ankle
- This code concerns biopsy of lower-leg soft tissue. It is not the ankle joint exploration code when the target is intra-articular.
27612 billing questions
How is this different from an ankle synovectomy?
This code describes exploration of the ankle joint. When the operative work removes joint lining, consider the ankle synovectomy code that matches the documented extent.
What should the operative report document?
Document the ankle joint explored, the clinical reason for direct inspection, the surgical approach, and the findings and work performed.
Does the code have a global period?
Yes. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral exploration reported?
For bilateral procedures, report modifier 50; CMS payment is 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 to 50%.
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 · Coming soon
Put 27612 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist