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Billing code 20902: Bone graft harvestMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports harvesting a major or large autogenous bone graft from a donor site, such as the iliac crest, for use in reconstruction or fusion.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities7.2K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $241.82 for 20902 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 20902

Bone graft harvest

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
4.47
Total RVUs
7.24
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$241.82

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 20902 → · 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 20902 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 20902 covers

This service covers taking a substantial amount of the patient’s own bone from a donor site for use elsewhere in a reconstructive procedure. A common source is the iliac crest. Orthopedic and reconstructive surgeons may harvest bone for procedures such as treating a nonunion, filling a defect, or supporting a fusion. The code represents the harvest, not the work of placing the graft at the recipient site.

Choose this level when the harvest is major or large, rather than a small graft or bone obtained locally through the operative exposure. The operative report should identify the donor site, describe the extent of the harvest, and explain the graft’s intended use. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 20902 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

20902 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$221.69
Alaska*Unavailable$308.24
ArizonaUnavailable$235.82
ArkansasUnavailable$219.24
AtlantaUnavailable$248.88
AustinUnavailable$242.72
BakersfieldUnavailable$240.04
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$255.51
BeaumontUnavailable$234.02
BrazoriaUnavailable$236.33

20902 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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.

View every state and territory as a table
20902 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 20902 rate is calculated

Each of 20902’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 · 20902

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 4.47Practice expense 1.94Malpractice 0.83

7.2400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$241.82

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 20902

The CMS indicators that decide how 20902 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 20902

Bone graft harvest

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

20902 without 51 · national facility

$241.82

Bone graft harvest

20902-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$120.91

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

20902 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

20902 vs 20900 vs 20936 vs 20937 vs 20930: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 20902
    Bone graft harvest · 4.47 wRVU
    —
  • 20900
    Bone graft harvest · 2.93 wRVU
    $398.14
  • 20936
    · 0 wRVU
    —
  • 20937
    Spinal bone graft · 2.72 wRVU
    —
  • 20930
    · 0 wRVU
    —

How to choose

20900Bone graft harvest
20900 is for a minor or small bone graft harvest. Use 20902 when the documented harvest is major or large.
20936Sp bone agrft local add-on
20936 covers local bone used in spinal surgery and obtained through the same incision. 20902 describes a major or large harvest from a donor site.
20937Spinal bone graft
20937 is specific to morselized autograft for spinal surgery, with harvest through a separate incision. 20902 is not limited to that spinal graft configuration.
20930Sp bone algrft morsel add-on
20930 concerns morselized donor allograft for spinal surgery; 20902 concerns harvesting the patient's own major or large bone graft.

Codes related to 20902

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

Codes related to 20902
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
20900Bone graft harvestSame donor-bone harvest family, for a minor or small graft.$350.28–$527.10
Used instead
20936Sp bone agrft local add-onSpinal autograft code for local bone obtained through the same incision.No office rate
20937Spinal bone graftSpinal autograft code for morselized bone harvested through a separate incision.No office rate
20938Spinal bone graftSpinal autograft code for structural bone harvested through a separate incision.No office rate
20930Sp bone algrft morsel add-onSpinal graft code for morselized allograft rather than the patient's harvested bone.No office rate

20902 billing questions

How does 20902 differ from 20900?

20902 is for a major or large bone harvest; 20900 represents a minor or small harvest. The operative note should support the extent of the graft taken.

Can 20902 be reported for bone harvested locally during spine surgery?

Codes 20936–20938 describe specific spinal autograft situations and include harvesting. For local bone obtained through the same incision, compare 20936 rather than separately reporting 20902 for that harvest.

What should the operative note document?

Document the donor site, the nature and extent of the bone harvest, and the intended recipient use. This supports selection of the major-or-large level rather than the minor-or-small level.

Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral donor-site harvest?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not used.

How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?

Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure. The global period is 0 days.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 20902PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,805 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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