CPT code 39220: Mediastinal resection, tumor removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri

Reports surgical removal of a mediastinal tumor, distinct from cyst excision or thoracoscopic removal, with a 90-day global period.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 20263 payment localities500 Medicare services in 2024

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 39220 in Missouri.

—Office (non-facility)
$1,024.93–$1,054.54Hospital or facility

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 9 sections
  1. Rate in Missouri
  2. What 39220 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. How it’s calculated
  5. Payment rules
  6. Similar codes
  7. Related codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 39220 covers

This code represents surgical removal of a tumor in the mediastinum, the central chest compartment between the lungs. Thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital facility. The operative report should identify the tumor’s mediastinal location and describe its removal; a mediastinal cyst is classified separately.

Report the code when the documented procedure removes a mediastinal tumor, rather than sampling it or removing a cyst. The record should support the diagnosis, site, and extent of resection. Medicare includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the major-surgery global period. For other procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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 39220 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.

39220 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Metropolitan Kansas City, MOUnavailable$1,047.16
Metropolitan St. Louis, MOUnavailable$1,054.54
Rest of MissouriUnavailable$1,024.93

How the 39220 rate is calculated

Each of 39220’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 · 39220

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work19.06

19.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.47

8.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice4.44

4.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

31.9700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,067.83

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 39220

39220 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 39220

Mediastinal resection, tumor removal

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 39220

Mediastinal resection, tumor removal

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

39220 without 51 · national facility

$1,067.83

Mediastinal resection, tumor removal

39220-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$533.92

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

39220 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 39220

    Mediastinal resection, tumor removal19.06 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 39200

    Mediastinal cyst, open surgical resection14.71 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32662

    Mediastinal excision, thoracoscopic cyst, tumor, or mass14.62 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 39401

    Mediastinoscopy, mediastinal tissue biopsy5.3 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

39200Mediastinal cystOpen surgical resection
Choose 39220 for a mediastinal tumor and 39200 for a mediastinal cyst; the documented lesion type distinguishes the services.
32662Mediastinal excisionThoracoscopic cyst, tumor, or mass
Code 32662 describes thoracoscopic excision of a mediastinal cyst, tumor, or mass. Code 39220 is the relevant resection code when the service is not reported as thoracoscopic.
39401MediastinoscopyMediastinal tissue biopsy
Code 39401 covers mediastinoscopy with biopsy for diagnostic tissue sampling. Code 39220 represents surgical removal of a mediastinal tumor.

39220 billing questions

How is this distinguished from 39200?

Use 39220 for removal of a mediastinal tumor. Code 39200 is for removal of a mediastinal cyst.

When would 32662 be reported instead?

Code 32662 describes thoracoscopic removal of a mediastinal cyst, tumor, or mass. Use it when the documented removal is performed thoracoscopically rather than reported under 39220.

Is a diagnostic biopsy reported as 39220?

No. This code represents removal of a mediastinal tumor, not diagnostic sampling alone. Mediastinoscopy with biopsy is described by 39401.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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 39220PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,777 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 39220 pays in Missouri?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 39220 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist