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Billing code 20150: Growth plate surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of a bony bridge across a growth plate, typically to address partial growth arrest after injury in a growing patient.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $920.86 for 20150 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 20150

Growth plate surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
14.38
Total RVUs
27.57
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$920.86

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 20150 → · 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
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 20150 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 20150 covers

An orthopedic surgeon removes a bony bridge, or bar, that has formed across a growth plate and is restricting growth. This procedure is most often considered in a growing child after a fracture or other injury causes partial physeal arrest, sometimes with developing limb-length discrepancy or angular deformity. The affected physis may be in a long bone such as the distal femur or proximal tibia. Imaging may be used to locate the bridge and guide its removal.

Report the service when the operative record supports excision of an existing epiphyseal bar, rather than a procedure intended to stop or redirect growth. Documentation should identify the affected bone and physis, the growth disturbance, and the work performed to remove the bar. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day before surgery and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require 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 20150 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

20150 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$834.31
Alaska*Unavailable$1,137.29
ArizonaUnavailable$895.69
ArkansasUnavailable$823.70
AtlantaUnavailable$948.20
AustinUnavailable$929.85
BakersfieldUnavailable$922.67
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$977.42
BeaumontUnavailable$883.15
BrazoriaUnavailable$899.25

20150 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.

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View every state and territory as a table
20150 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 20150 rate is calculated

Each of 20150’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 · 20150

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 14.38Practice expense 10.14Malpractice 3.05

27.5700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$920.86

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 20150

20150 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 20150

Growth plate surgery

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
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)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 20150

Growth plate surgery

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

20150 without 50 · national facility

$920.86

Growth plate surgery

20150-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,381.29

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).

When to use modifier 50

20150 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

20150 vs 27475 vs 27477 vs 27485: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 20150
    Growth plate surgery · 14.38 wRVU
    —
  • 27475
    Growth arrest · 8.71 wRVU
    —
  • 27477
    Growth arrest surgery · 9.89 wRVU
    —
  • 27485
    Guided growth · 8.9 wRVU
    —

How to choose

27475Growth arrest
Use this code for excision of an existing growth-plate bridge. Code 27475 describes open epiphysiodesis, which intentionally arrests growth.
27477Growth arrest surgery
Code 27477 is for percutaneous epiphysiodesis to arrest growth; it does not represent surgical removal of an epiphyseal bar.
27485Guided growth
Code 27485 describes hemiepiphysiodesis to guide growth for angular correction. Use 20150 when the operative target is excision of an existing bar.

Codes related to 20150

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

Codes related to 20150
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27475Growth arrestOpen epiphysiodesis intentionally arrests growth rather than removing an existing physeal bridge.No office rate
27477Growth arrest surgeryPercutaneous epiphysiodesis is a growth-arrest procedure, not excision of a bar.No office rate
27479Growth arrestEpiphysiodesis at the distal radius or ulna intentionally limits growth at those sites.No office rate
27485Guided growthHemiepiphysiodesis guides growth to address angular deformity instead of excising a bar.No office rate

20150 billing questions

How is bar excision different from epiphysiodesis?

Bar excision removes an existing bridge that is restricting growth. Epiphysiodesis intentionally arrests growth to manage growth or limb-length problems.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the affected bone and physis, the bar and resulting growth disturbance, and the operative steps used to excise it.

Does the code have a postoperative global period?

Yes. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How is bilateral surgery reported?

When the procedure is performed bilaterally, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures 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
RVUs for 20150PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,722 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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