CPT code 60260: Thyroidectomy, remaining tissue after prior removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maine
Reports completion thyroidectomy removing the remaining thyroid tissue after an earlier partial thyroid removal, often when later findings warrant definitive treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60260 in Maine.
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 60260 covers
This code covers an operation to remove the thyroid tissue left behind after a prior partial thyroid removal. A common situation is a patient whose initial lobectomy is followed by a decision to remove the remaining thyroid tissue, such as after pathology findings change the treatment plan. The procedure is typically performed by an endocrine surgeon or an otolaryngologist/head-and-neck surgeon in a hospital operating room, where the surgeon works in a previously operated field.
Select this code when the current operation removes the remaining thyroid tissue following an earlier partial removal, not for an initial total thyroidectomy. The operative report should establish the prior partial surgery and describe the completion procedure. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. A bilateral service reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 60260 pays more and less in Maine
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest of Maine | Unavailable | $905.39 |
| Southern Maine, ME | Unavailable | $924.86 |
How the 60260 rate is calculated
Each of 60260’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 · 60260
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.80
17.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.77
7.77 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.47
3.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
29.0400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$969.96
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60260
60260 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60260
Thyroidectomy, remaining tissue after prior removal
| 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60260
Thyroidectomy, remaining tissue after prior 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
60260 without 50 · national facility
$969.96
Thyroidectomy, remaining tissue after prior removal
60260-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,454.94
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).
60260 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 60240ThyroidectomyTotal gland removal
- 60240 describes an initial total or complete thyroidectomy. Use 60260 when the current operation removes the thyroid tissue remaining after an earlier partial removal.
- 60220Thyroid lobectomyComplete single-lobe removal
- 60220 is a unilateral thyroid lobectomy. It does not describe completion removal of the remaining thyroid tissue after a prior partial operation.
- 60252ThyroidectomyMalignancy, limited neck dissection
- 60252 includes thyroidectomy for malignancy with limited neck dissection. Choose it when that neck-dissection scope is part of the operation, rather than coding completion thyroidectomy alone.
60260 billing questions
How is this different from an initial total thyroidectomy?
Use 60260 when the operation removes the thyroid tissue remaining after a prior partial thyroid removal. An initial total thyroidectomy is reported with 60240 when its circumstances meet that code.
Can 60260 be reported with 60240 for the same operation?
The completion removal is represented by 60260; do not separately report 60240 for the same thyroid removal.
What documentation supports 60260?
Document the earlier partial thyroid removal and the current operation to remove the remaining thyroid tissue. The operative report should make the completion nature of the procedure clear.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Those related services are part of the surgical global package.
How are bilateral procedures and assistants handled?
CMS pays a bilateral service reported with modifier 50 at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid 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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