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Billing code 20924: Tendon graft harvestMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports harvest of tendon from a separate donor site for grafting, such as palmaris longus, plantaris, or toe extensor tendon used in reconstruction.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities384 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $469.95 for 20924 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 20924

Tendon graft harvest

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.51
Total RVUs
14.07
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$469.95

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 20924 → · 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 20924 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 20924 covers

This code reports removal of a tendon intended for use as a graft, with the donor site separate from the site being reconstructed. Examples include harvesting palmaris longus, plantaris, or toe extensor tendon for a reconstructive procedure. Orthopedic, hand, and reconstructive surgeons typically perform the harvest in an operating room, often through an incision at the donor site distinct from the operative site where the graft will be used.

Report the harvest when the operative record identifies the tendon and donor location and documents its removal for graft use. The code describes procurement, not placement of the graft or reconstruction at the recipient site. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 20924 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

20924 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$425.69
Alaska*Unavailable$573.97
ArizonaUnavailable$457.48
ArkansasUnavailable$420.21
AtlantaUnavailable$482.24
AustinUnavailable$477.96
BakersfieldUnavailable$478.32
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$498.60
BeaumontUnavailable$448.01
BrazoriaUnavailable$460.75

20924 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.

View every state and territory as a table
20924 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 20924 rate is calculated

Each of 20924’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 · 20924

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.51Practice expense 6.33Malpractice 1.23

14.0700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$469.95

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 20924

20924 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 20924

Tendon graft harvest

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)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 20924

Tendon graft harvest

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

20924 without 51 · national facility

$469.95

Tendon graft harvest

20924-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$234.98

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

20924 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

20924 vs 20920 vs 20910 vs 20900: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 20924
    Tendon graft harvest · 6.51 wRVU
    —
  • 20920
    Fascia graft · 5.37 wRVU
    —
  • 20910
    Cartilage harvest · 5.39 wRVU
    —
  • 20900
    Bone graft harvest · 2.93 wRVU
    $398.14

How to choose

20920Fascia graft
20920 reports fascia graft procurement. Choose 20924 when tendon is harvested for the graft.
20910Cartilage harvest
20910 describes cartilage graft harvest. The tissue removed, not simply the fact that it will be used as a graft, distinguishes it from 20924.
20900Bone graft harvest
20900 describes bone graft harvest. Use 20924 for tendon procurement from a donor site.

Codes related to 20924

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

Codes related to 20924
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
20920Fascia graftReports fascia graft harvest rather than tendon harvest.No office rate
20922Fascia harvestAlso describes fascia graft procurement, not tendon procurement.$579.13–$827.21
20910Cartilage harvestDescribes cartilage graft harvest when cartilage, rather than tendon, is obtained.No office rate
20900Bone graft harvestDescribes bone graft harvest instead of tendon graft harvest.$350.28–$527.10
20902Bone graft harvestDescribes bone graft harvest; select it when bone, not tendon, is procured.No office rate

20924 billing questions

When should 20924 be chosen instead of a fascia or bone graft harvest code?

Use 20924 when the harvested graft material is tendon. Codes such as 20920 or 20900 describe harvest of different tissues, not tendon.

Does 20924 describe graft placement or the reconstruction?

No. It reports tendon procurement from the donor site; the recipient-site reconstruction is described by its own procedure code.

What should the operative note document?

Document the tendon harvested, its donor-site location, and that it was removed for graft use. The record should distinguish the harvest from work at the reconstruction site.

How is 20924 affected when other procedures are performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.

What payment rules apply to assistants and co-surgeons?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What postoperative care is included in the global period?

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

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 20924PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,810 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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