Billing code 10060: Abscess drainageMedicare rate & RVUs
Report 10060 for straightforward incision and drainage of one abscess, such as a cutaneous boil, when the procedure is simple rather than complex or multiple.
Medicare pays $128.59 for 10060 nationally in the office and $100.54 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $114.57–$168.30.
Medicare rate · 10060
Abscess drainage
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.19
- Total RVUs
- 3.85
- Global days
- 010
National rate · 2026
$128.59
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 10060 → · 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.
On this page 10 sections
What 10060 covers
A clinician makes an incision to release pus from a single, straightforward abscess, commonly a skin or subcutaneous boil or localized abscess. The service is typically performed by a physician or other qualified practitioner in an office, urgent care setting, or emergency department. The code describes the drainage procedure, not evaluation of an abscess without drainage or needle aspiration alone.
Choose 10060 when the documented service treats one abscess with a simple drainage approach; use 10061 when the procedure is complex or involves multiple abscesses. Document the site, findings, and drainage performed so the record supports the level selected. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are 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 10060 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$114.57 to $168.30
109 of 109 payment localities
10060 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$114.57
$152.01
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $152.01 | 1 |
| AL | $116.15 | 1 |
| AR | $114.57 | 1 |
| AZ | $125.35 | 1 |
| CA | $135.37–$168.30 | 29 |
| CO | $133.53 | 1 |
| CT | $136.81 | 1 |
| DC | $146.27 | 1 |
| DE | $127.34 | 1 |
| FL | $127.06–$138.70 | 3 |
| GA | $120.30–$130.94 | 2 |
| GU | $138.34 | 1 |
| HI | $138.34 | 1 |
| IA | $118.79 | 1 |
| ID | $119.54 | 1 |
| IL | $123.69–$134.92 | 4 |
| IN | $120.19 | 1 |
| KS | $118.33 | 1 |
| KY | $118.84 | 1 |
| LA | $118.69–$124.20 | 2 |
| MA | $132.83–$146.14 | 2 |
| MD | $129.65–$146.27 | 3 |
| ME | $120.19–$126.23 | 2 |
| MI | $121.80–$128.61 | 2 |
| MN | $127.99 | 1 |
| MO | $116.82–$124.55 | 3 |
| MS | $115.71 | 1 |
| MT | $128.58 | 1 |
| NC | $121.36 | 1 |
| ND | $126.01 | 1 |
| NE | $119.39 | 1 |
| NH | $131.52 | 1 |
| NJ | $138.38–$144.91 | 2 |
| NM | $122.45 | 1 |
| NV | $127.95 | 1 |
| NY | $123.08–$150.83 | 5 |
| OH | $121.28 | 1 |
| OK | $118.58 | 1 |
| OR | $126.97–$137.50 | 2 |
| PA | $121.43–$133.61 | 2 |
| PR | $129.46 | 1 |
| RI | $131.67 | 1 |
| SC | $121.52 | 1 |
| SD | $125.71 | 1 |
| TN | $118.89 | 1 |
| TX | $120.68–$133.08 | 8 |
| UT | $123.08 | 1 |
| VA | $125.88–$146.27 | 2 |
| VI | $129.46 | 1 |
| VT | $125.60 | 1 |
| WA | $132.55–$148.97 | 2 |
| WI | $122.04 | 1 |
| WV | $119.39 | 1 |
| WY | $127.46 | 1 |
How the 10060 rate is calculated
Each of 10060’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 · 10060
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.19Practice expense 2.53Malpractice 0.13
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 10060
10060 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 10060
Abscess drainage
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 10060
Abscess drainage
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
10060 without 51 · national office
$128.59
Abscess drainage
10060-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$64.30
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%).
10060 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
10060 vs 10061 vs 10080 vs 10160: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 10061Abscess drainage
- Choose 10060 for simple drainage of one abscess. Choose 10061 when the documented drainage is complex or involves multiple abscesses.
- 10080Pilonidal drainage
- 10080 is for simple incision and drainage of a pilonidal cyst. Use 10060 for a simple, single abscess outside that pilonidal-specific service.
- 10160Lesion aspiration
- 10060 involves incision and drainage; 10160 describes aspiration by needle of an abscess or other collection.
10060 billing questions
How do I choose between 10060 and 10061?
Use 10060 for a simple drainage of one abscess. Use 10061 when the drainage is complex or multiple abscesses are treated; documentation should support the procedure’s extent and complexity.
Can I report an office E/M service on the same date?
A separately identifiable E/M service may be reported when it is beyond the work associated with the drainage and is documented separately; append modifier 25 to the E/M code when appropriate.
Are related follow-up visits separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in 10060.
Should I append modifier 50 for abscesses on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. If multiple abscesses are drained, assess whether the documented work supports 10061 rather than reporting bilateral 10060.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for 10060?
Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How is 10060 affected 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% when performed in the same session.
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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