CPT code 27848: Ankle dislocation, open treatment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports operative treatment of an ankle dislocation through open reduction, with or without percutaneous skeletal fixation, during the surgical encounter.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27848 in Massachusetts.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 27848 covers
An orthopedic surgeon reports this service when the ankle dislocation is treated operatively through an open approach. The procedure may include percutaneous skeletal fixation; the code applies to treatment of the dislocation, not simply to an ankle injury or a closed reduction. It is commonly performed in a hospital operating room or other surgical facility. The operative report should identify the dislocation, the open reduction performed, and any skeletal fixation used.
Choose this code based on the documented operative treatment and the full CPT descriptor, rather than the diagnosis alone or the presence of hardware. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 27848 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $800.93 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $744.47 |
How the 27848 rate is calculated
Each of 27848’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 · 27848
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work11.39
11.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.55
8.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.15
2.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
22.0900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$737.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27848
27848 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27848
Ankle dislocation, open treatment
| 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 · 27848
Ankle dislocation, open treatment
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
27848 without 50 · national facility
$737.83
Ankle dislocation, open treatment
27848-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,106.75
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).
27848 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27840Ankle dislocationClosed, without anesthesia
- 27840 is for closed treatment of an ankle dislocation without anesthesia. Use 27848 for operative open treatment.
- 27842Ankle dislocationClosed reduction with anesthesia
- 27842 describes closed treatment requiring anesthesia; 27848 describes open operative treatment.
- 27846Ankle dislocationOpen treatment
- Both codes concern open treatment of ankle dislocation. Select between them using the complete CPT descriptors and the procedure documented, not the short CMS labels alone.
- 27814Ankle fractureOpen bimalleolar treatment
- 27814 is for open treatment of a bimalleolar ankle fracture. Use it when the operative service treats that fracture rather than an isolated dislocation.
27848 billing questions
How does 27848 differ from closed ankle-dislocation treatment?
27848 describes operative treatment through an open approach. Codes 27840 and 27842 describe closed treatment; 27842 is for closed treatment requiring anesthesia.
How should 27848 be distinguished from 27846?
Both are open-treatment ankle-dislocation codes. Review the complete descriptors and operative report to select the code matching the specific procedure; the short CMS label alone does not establish the distinction.
Is skeletal fixation included in 27848?
The code includes open treatment with or without percutaneous skeletal fixation. Document the reduction and any fixation performed in the operative report.
What does the 90-day global period include?
CMS includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. Those services are part of the global surgical period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and CMS does not permit team surgery for this code.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Document the treatment performed on each ankle.
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
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