CPT code 27888: Foot amputation, at ankle level2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports surgical removal of the foot at the ankle, such as for a nonviable foot from severe infection, gangrene, or trauma.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27888 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.
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What 27888 covers
A surgeon removes the foot at the ankle when the foot is not viable or cannot be salvaged. Common circumstances include extensive infection, gangrene associated with poor blood flow, and severe traumatic injury. The operative level determines whether this code fits; a lower-leg amputation or an amputation through the malleoli is a different service. These procedures are generally performed in a hospital operating room or another surgical facility.
Report 27888 for the documented foot-at-ankle level, supported by the operative report and the side treated. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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% reduction. Modifier 50 identifies a bilateral procedure, paid at 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 27888 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 | $516.29 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $509.75 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $537.96 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $563.32 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $546.69 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $529.92 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $536.97 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $523.05 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $520.93 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $578.51 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $525.15 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $560.39 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $514.02 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $566.54 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $523.67 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $520.68 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $528.13 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $542.46 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $509.32 |
How the 27888 rate is calculated
Each of 27888’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 · 27888
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.11
10.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.27
3.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.58
2.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$533.08
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27888
27888 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27888
Foot amputation, at ankle level
| 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 · 27888
Foot amputation, at ankle level
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
27888 without 50 · national facility
$533.08
Foot amputation, at ankle level
27888-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$799.62
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).
27888 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27889Ankle amputationThrough the ankle joint
- 27888 is selected for removal of the foot at the ankle; 27889 describes an amputation through the malleoli. Follow the operative report's documented level.
- 27880Leg amputationThrough tibia and fibula
- 27880 is for amputation at the lower-leg level. It is not the choice when the procedure is limited to the foot at the ankle.
- 27884Stump revisionThrough tibia and fibula
- 27884 is an amputation follow-up surgery code, not the code for the initial foot amputation at ankle level.
27888 billing questions
How do I distinguish 27888 from 27889?
Choose 27888 when the documented procedure removes the foot at the ankle. Code 27889 describes an amputation through the malleoli, so use the operative level to distinguish them.
When is 27880 a better choice?
27880 describes an amputation at the lower-leg level. Use 27888 when the operative level is the foot at the ankle, rather than the lower leg.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included. The global period also includes the day-before preoperative visit.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral procedures?
Yes. CMS identifies 27888 as a bilateral procedure; when modifier 50 is reported, payment is at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, with payment at 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
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