CPT code 27870: Ankle fusion, open approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico

Reports open fusion of the ankle’s tibiotalar joint, commonly for painful arthritis or deformity when permanent stabilization is planned.

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

In New Mexico, Medicare pays $918.02 for 27870 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$918.02Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 27870 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 27870 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in New Mexico
  2. What 27870 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 27870 covers

An orthopedic surgeon exposes the tibiotalar joint, prepares the opposing bone surfaces, aligns the ankle, and stabilizes it to achieve fusion. This operation is commonly performed for advanced post-traumatic or degenerative ankle arthritis, painful deformity, or instability when preserving ankle motion is not the treatment goal. It is typically performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery setting.

Report 27870 when the operative work is an open fusion of the tibiotalar joint; documentation should identify the joint, open approach, indication, and stabilization performed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is paid at 150% for a bilateral procedure. 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.

How New Mexico compares for 27870

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 27870 runs from $836.88 in Arkansas to $1,160.24 in Alaska. New Mexico pays $918.02. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

27870 in New Mexico vs other payment areas
  1. New Mexico · this page$918.02
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$979.81+$61.79
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$1,024.99+$106.97
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$1,079.05+$161.03
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$1,049.42+$131.40
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$1,067.12+$149.10
  7. Alaska · Alaska$1,160.24+$242.22

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

Every other payment area

27870 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$846.84
ArkansasArkansas—$836.88
ArizonaArizona—$904.51
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$934.57
Chico, CACalifornia—$927.01
El Centro, CACalifornia—$927.45
Fresno, CACalifornia—$927.01
Hanford, CACalifornia—$927.01

27870 rates by state

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

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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
27870 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 27870 in every payment locality

How the 27870 rate is calculated

Each of 27870’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 · 27870

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work15.02

15.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense10.07

10.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.69

2.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

27.7800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$927.88

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

The exact New Mexico inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

3,074

Code
27870
Physician work
15.02
Practice expense
10.07
Malpractice
2.69

GPCI2026.csv

77

Locality
New Mexico
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.917
Malpractice
1.201
Facility calculation for 27870 in New Mexico
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work15.02× 1.00015.0200
Practice expense10.07× 0.9179.2342
Malpractice2.69× 1.2013.2307
Total RVUs27.4849
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, New Mexico$918.02

Facility: (15.02 × 1 + 10.07 × 0.917 + 2.69 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $918.02

Open 27870 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 27870

27870 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27870

Ankle fusion, open approach

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 · 27870

Ankle fusion, open approach

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

27870 without 50 · national facility

$927.88

Ankle fusion, open approach

27870-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,391.82

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 27870 has changed in New Mexico

27870 · 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$918.02RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$918.02RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$918.02RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$918.02RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$967.82RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$967.82RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$967.82RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$967.82RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$990.49RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$990.49RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$990.49RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$990.49RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$974.33RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$999.39RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$999.39RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$999.39RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$999.39RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$1,010.38RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$1,010.38RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$1,010.38RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$1,010.38RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$1,014.66RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$1,014.66RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$1,014.66RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$1,014.66RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$1,047.00RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$1,047.00RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$1,047.00RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$1,047.00RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$1,056.63RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$1,056.63RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$1,056.63RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$1,056.63RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$1,057.89RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$1,057.89RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$1,057.89RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$1,057.89RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$1,050.40RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$1,050.40RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$1,050.40RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$1,050.40RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$1,045.36RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$1,045.36RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$1,045.36RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$1,045.36RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$1,051.88RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$1,051.88RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$1,046.64RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$1,046.64RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$1,036.10RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$1,036.10RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$1,036.10RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$1,036.10RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$1,011.64RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$1,011.64RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$1,011.64RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$1,011.64RVU13AR

Price 27870 for an earlier date of service

Where the New Mexico rate applies

New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Abeytas
  • Abiquiu
  • Acomita Lake
  • Adelino
  • Agua Fria
  • Alamillo
  • Alamo
  • Alamogordo

Browse all communities in New Mexico

27870 billing questions

How is 27870 different from distal tibiofibular fusion?

27870 is for open fusion of the tibiotalar ankle joint. A fusion limited to the distal tibiofibular joint is a different operation.

Does 27870 describe an ankle replacement?

No. It reports fusion, which permanently joins the ankle bones; ankle arthroplasty replaces the joint and is a different procedure.

What documentation supports reporting 27870?

Document the tibiotalar joint as the fusion site, the open approach, the clinical reason for fusion, and the work performed to prepare and stabilize the joint.

How does the global period affect postoperative visits?

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

Can 27870 be reported bilaterally or with an assistant?

Modifier 50 applies to a bilateral procedure and is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with other procedures subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Team surgery is not permitted.

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 27870PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,074 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for New MexicoGPCI2026.csv, line 77 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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