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Billing code 20937: Spinal bone graftMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports morselized bone harvested from the patient through a separate incision and placed to support fusion during a primary spinal procedure.

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

Medicare pays $147.30 for 20937 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 20937

Spinal bone graft

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
2.72
Total RVUs
4.41
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$147.30

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 20937 → · 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 20937 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 20937 covers

During spinal fusion, the surgeon harvests the patient’s own bone through a separate skin or fascial incision, prepares it as small fragments, and places it at the fusion site to support bone healing. The iliac crest is a common harvest site. Orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons perform this work in the operating room as part of cervical, thoracic, or lumbar arthrodesis.

Report this add-on only with an eligible primary spinal procedure. It represents obtaining and preparing the patient’s morselized bone, not a standalone service. Documentation should identify the autologous graft, its morselized form, the separate harvest incision and site, and placement at the fusion site. CMS classifies 20937 as an add-on code: it must be billed with a primary procedure, and its payment falls within that procedure’s global period.

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 20937 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

20937 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$132.09
Alaska*Unavailable$182.83
ArizonaUnavailable$142.57
ArkansasUnavailable$130.26
AtlantaUnavailable$153.36
AustinUnavailable$146.22
BakersfieldUnavailable$141.59
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$157.20
BeaumontUnavailable$142.72
BrazoriaUnavailable$141.95

20937 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
20937 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 20937 rate is calculated

Each of 20937’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 · 20937

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 2.72Practice expense 0.90Malpractice 0.79

4.4100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$147.30

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 20937

The CMS indicators that decide how 20937 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 20937

Spinal bone graft

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
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 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

20937 without 80 · national facility

$147.30

Spinal bone graft

20937-80 · Assistant: 16%

$23.57

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

20937 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

20937 vs 20936 vs 20938 vs 20930: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 20937
    Spinal bone graft · 2.72 wRVU
    —
  • 20936
    · 0 wRVU
    —
  • 20938
    Spinal bone graft · 2.94 wRVU
    —
  • 20930
    · 0 wRVU
    —

How to choose

20936Sp bone agrft local add-on
Use 20936 for local autograft obtained at the operative site. Use 20937 for morselized autograft taken through a separate skin or fascial incision.
20938Spinal bone graft
Both describe spinal autograft harvested through a separate incision; 20937 is for morselized graft, while 20938 is for structural graft.
20930Sp bone algrft morsel add-on
20930 describes morselized allograft from a donor source. 20937 describes morselized bone harvested from the patient.

Codes related to 20937

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

Codes related to 20937
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Primary code
22612Spinal fusionMay serve as the primary posterolateral lumbar fusion procedure when the graft work is performed.No office rate
22630Lumbar fusionMay serve as the primary posterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure.No office rate
22551ACDFMay serve as the primary anterior cervical fusion procedure.No office rate
Same family
20936Sp bone agrft local add-onSpinal autograft from the operative site, rather than a separate harvest incision.No office rate
20938Spinal bone graftSpinal autograft harvested through a separate incision in structural form.No office rate
Used instead
20930Sp bone algrft morsel add-onMorselized donor bone graft rather than bone harvested from the patient.No office rate

20937 billing questions

How does 20937 differ from 20936?

20937 describes morselized autograft harvested through a separate skin or fascial incision. 20936 is for local autograft obtained at the operative site.

When would 20938 be used instead?

20938 is for structural autograft harvested through a separate incision. Choose 20937 when the harvested autograft is morselized rather than structural.

Can 20937 be billed by itself?

No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with an eligible primary spinal procedure.

Is the bone harvest included in 20937?

Yes. The code includes obtaining the patient’s bone through a separate incision and preparing it as morselized graft.

What documentation supports reporting 20937?

The operative report should establish that the graft came from the patient, was harvested through a separate incision, was morselized, and was placed at the fusion site.

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 20937PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,817 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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