CPT 10140: Fluid drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $174.35 for 10140 nationally in the office and $115.57 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $154.61–$227.98.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 10140 covers

This service involves making an incision to drain a hematoma, seroma, or other localized fluid collection. A clinician may perform it in an office, clinic, or facility when a collection—such as a postoperative seroma or a localized hematoma—requires drainage through an incision. The procedure is distinct from needle aspiration and from drainage directed at an abscess or a complex infected postoperative wound.

Document the collection’s location and clinical nature, the incision and drainage performed, and the circumstances supporting that approach. The code has a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the 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-surgeons and team surgery 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 10140 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

10140 rates by state

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

How the 10140 rate is calculated

Each of 10140’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 10140

10140 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

10140 compared with similar codes

How to choose

10160Lesion aspiration

Choose 10140 when the clinician incises the collection to drain it. Choose 10160 when drainage is performed by puncture or aspiration.

10060Abscess drainage

Code 10060 describes incision and drainage of a simple or single abscess. Code 10140 is for a hematoma, seroma, or other fluid collection.

10180Wound drainage

Code 10180 is for complex drainage of a postoperative wound infection. Use 10140 for drainage of a hematoma, seroma, or other fluid collection when the service is not that complex infection procedure.

Codes related to 10140

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates