Billing code 21248: Jaw reconstructionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reconstructs part of the mandible or maxilla with an implant placed in the jawbone, generally to support restoration of a missing or deficient segment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities238 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,023.40 for 21248 nationally in the office and $725.47 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $920.25–$1,292.33.

Medicare rate · 21248

Jaw reconstruction

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
12.42
Total RVUs
30.64
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,023.40

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 21248 → · 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 21248 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 21248 covers

This procedure reconstructs a partial area of the mandible or maxilla by placing an endosteal implant within the jawbone to support oral rehabilitation. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons commonly perform it; other surgeons with the appropriate training may perform it in an office or surgical facility. The operative report should establish the jaw involved, the partial extent of reconstruction, and the implant work performed.

Report this code for partial reconstruction; use 21249 when the documented reconstruction is complete. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 21248 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$920.25 to $1292.33

$920.25$1106.29$1292.33
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

21248 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$931.75$671.05
Alaska*$1,244.46$927.15
Arizona$998.84$710.14
Arkansas$920.25$664.32
Atlanta$1,043.72$741.01
Austin$1,050.86$735.64
Bakersfield$1,065.15$738.61
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$1,082.74$763.05
Beaumont$969.59$698.47
Brazoria$1,010.60$715.35

21248 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.

$920.25

$1,244.46

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
21248 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$1,244.461
AL$931.751
AR$920.251
AZ$998.841
CA$1,060.63–$1,292.3329
CO$1,053.061
CT$1,085.271
DC$1,150.851
DE$1,013.691
FL$1,024.21–$1,123.403
GA$972.81–$1,043.722
GU$1,078.631
HI$1,078.631
IA$945.551
ID$952.171
IL$1,003.24–$1,094.414
IN$956.741
KS$944.811
KY$957.161
LA$957.10–$997.332
MA$1,049.38–$1,143.142
MD$1,030.11–$1,150.853
ME$959.69–$999.772
MI$981.35–$1,038.472
MN$1,004.081
MO$945.07–$996.713
MS$932.661
MT$1,023.301
NC$967.801
ND$993.441
NE$949.061
NH$1,039.981
NJ$1,096.24–$1,142.272
NM$987.221
NV$1,015.541
NY$980.52–$1,198.665
OH$975.251
OK$952.441
OR$1,006.19–$1,079.082
PA$974.86–$1,063.492
PR$1,028.791
RI$1,044.261
SC$973.421
SD$989.911
TN$949.261
TX$969.59–$1,050.868
UT$984.771
VA$999.09–$1,150.852
VI$1,028.791
VT$992.911
WA$1,046.32–$1,161.612
WI$965.061
WV$972.031
WY$1,010.291

How the 21248 rate is calculated

Each of 21248’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 · 21248

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 12.42Practice expense 16.71Malpractice 1.51

30.6400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,023.40

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 21248

21248 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 21248

Jaw reconstruction

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 21248

Jaw reconstruction

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

21248 without 51 · national office

$1,023.40

Jaw reconstruction

21248-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$511.70

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

21248 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

21248 vs 21249 vs 21244 vs 21215: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 21248
    Jaw reconstruction · 12.42 wRVU
    $1,023.40
  • 21249
    Jaw reconstruction · 18.3 wRVU
    $1,404.51+$381.11
  • 21244
    Jaw reconstruction · 13.28 wRVU
    —
  • 21215
    Bone graft · 11.92 wRVU
    $4,120.00+$3,096.60

How to choose

21249Jaw reconstruction
21248 describes partial jaw reconstruction with an endosteal implant; 21249 is the complete-reconstruction counterpart.
21244Jaw reconstruction
21244 describes mandibular reconstruction using a transosteal bone plate. Choose 21248 when the documented reconstruction uses an endosteal implant instead.
21215Bone graft
21215 reports mandibular bone grafting, not endosteal implant reconstruction. It may be relevant when a separate graft is performed during the same operative session.

21248 billing questions

How do I choose between 21248 and 21249?

Use 21248 for partial jaw reconstruction and 21249 for complete reconstruction. The operative documentation should support the extent performed.

Can I append modifier 50 for implants on both sides?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.

Does the 90-day global include postoperative visits?

It includes related postoperative care for 90 days, as well as the day-before preoperative visit.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What should the operative report document?

Document the mandible or maxilla treated, why reconstruction was needed, the partial extent of reconstruction, and the endosteal implant work 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 21248PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,927 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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