CPT code 60520: Thymectomy, transcervical approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Report this service for partial or total thymus removal through a cervical incision, commonly performed for myasthenia gravis or thymic disease.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60520 in Missouri.
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 60520 covers
The surgeon removes part or all of the thymus through an incision in the lower neck, rather than entering the chest through a transthoracic approach. Thoracic and endocrine surgeons may perform the operation in a hospital operating room for conditions such as myasthenia gravis or a thymic mass. The operative report should establish that thymic tissue was removed and document the cervical route.
Select this code when the thymectomy is performed through the transcervical approach; the approach and extent of resection distinguish it from other thymectomy services. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. If multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. 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 60520 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.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $962.28 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $969.42 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $939.68 |
How the 60520 rate is calculated
Each of 60520’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 · 60520
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.73
16.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.63
8.63 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.07
4.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
29.4300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$982.99
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60520
60520 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60520
Thymectomy, transcervical approach
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 · 60520
Thymectomy, transcervical 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
60520 without 51 · national facility
$982.99
Thymectomy, transcervical approach
60520-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$491.50
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%).
60520 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 60521ThymectomySternotomy or transthoracic approach
- Choose 60520 for thymectomy through a cervical incision; 60521 describes a different approach to thymus removal.
- 60522Thymus removalWith radical tumor resection
- 60522 is for thymectomy with additional operative work specified by that code, rather than a transcervical thymectomy alone.
- 32673Thoracoscopic thymectomyIncluding mediastinal fat
- Use 32673 when thymectomy is performed thoracoscopically; 60520 describes removal through a cervical incision.
- 60500Parathyroid surgeryCervical approach
- 60500 reports parathyroid exploration, not thymus removal. It applies when the surgeon separately explores the parathyroid glands.
60520 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from other thymectomy codes?
Use this code when the thymus is removed through a cervical incision. The other thymectomy codes describe different approaches or additional operative work.
What documentation supports the transcervical approach?
The operative report should identify the cervical incision and route, describe the thymic tissue removed, and state the extent of resection.
Does the service include related postoperative care?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral thymectomy?
No. Bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy.
How are multiple procedures handled in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
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
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