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CPT code 60522: Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Report this code when partial or total thymus removal is performed together with radical resection of a mediastinal tumor during the same operation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities85 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,300.30 for 60522 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 60522

Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
22.89
Total RVUs
38.93
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,300.30

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 60522 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 60522 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 60522 covers

This operation removes part or all of the thymus as part of a radical resection of a mediastinal tumor. A thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs it in a hospital operating room, for example when treating a thymic tumor that requires removal of surrounding mediastinal tumor tissue. The defining feature is the combined tumor resection, not simply the amount of thymus removed or the surgical approach.

Report the code once for the combined operation. The operative report should support removal of thymic tissue and the radical mediastinal tumor resection. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. CMS does not permit team-surgery reporting for this code, and modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single-organ service.

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 60522 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

60522 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,174.91
AlaskaUnavailable$1,620.22
ArizonaUnavailable$1,262.33
ArkansasUnavailable$1,159.72
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,346.14
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,300.38
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,274.19
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,382.64
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,255.67
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,261.70

60522 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
60522 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

How the 60522 rate is calculated

Each of 60522’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 · 60522

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work22.89

22.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense10.38

10.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice5.66

5.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

38.9300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,300.30

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 60522

60522 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 60522

Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection

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)0.09/0.82/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 60522

Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection

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

60522 without 51 · national facility

$1,300.30

Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection

60522-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$650.15

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

60522 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 60522

    Thymus removal, with radical tumor resection22.89 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 60520

    Thymectomy, transcervical approach16.73 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 60521

    Thymectomy, sternotomy or transthoracic approach18.7 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 39220

    Mediastinal resection, tumor removal19.06 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

60520ThymectomyTranscervical approach
60520 describes thymectomy using a transcervical approach. Choose 60522 when the operation also includes radical mediastinal tumor resection.
60521ThymectomySternotomy or transthoracic approach
60521 describes thymectomy performed with sternotomy or thoracotomy. The defining feature for 60522 is radical mediastinal tumor resection with thymectomy.
39220Mediastinal resectionTumor removal
39220 is for mediastinal tumor excision without thymectomy. Use 60522 when thymus removal is part of the radical tumor resection.

Codes related to 60522

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 60522
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
60520Thymectomy, transcervical approachThymectomy by a transcervical approach without the radical mediastinal tumor resection.No office rate
60521Thymectomy, sternotomy or transthoracic approachThymectomy with sternotomy or thoracotomy, without the radical tumor-resection feature.No office rate
Used instead
39220Mediastinal resection, tumor removalMediastinal tumor excision when thymectomy is not part of the operation.No office rate

60522 billing questions

When should I choose this code over 60520 or 60521?

Use this code when the thymus is removed as part of a radical mediastinal tumor resection. Codes 60520 and 60521 describe thymectomy without that added tumor-resection feature and distinguish approach.

Can the mediastinal tumor resection be billed separately?

Do not separately report tumor-removal work that is part of the combined operation represented by this code. The operative report should establish that the thymectomy and radical tumor resection were performed together.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should describe the thymic tissue removed and the mediastinal tumor resection, including its extent. It should make clear that the service involved more than thymectomy alone.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; CMS does not permit team-surgery reporting for this code.

Should modifier 50 be used?

No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this thymus-removal service.

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 60522PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,720 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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