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Billing code 22112: Vertebral excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports partial removal of a thoracic vertebral body to treat an intrinsic bone lesion when the procedure does not decompress spinal cord or nerve roots.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities23 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,171.04 for 22112 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 22112

Vertebral excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
13.72
Total RVUs
35.06
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,171.04

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 22112 → · 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 22112 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 22112 covers

This code describes partial excision of a thoracic vertebral body to remove an intrinsic bony lesion, such as a lesion involving the vertebral body itself. Spine surgeons, including orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons, typically perform the operation in a hospital or other surgical setting. The defining distinction is removal of vertebral body bone without decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots as part of the service.

Report the code when the operative record identifies the thoracic level, the intrinsic bone lesion, and the partial vertebral body removal. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 22112 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

22112 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,022.39
Alaska*Unavailable$1,347.44
ArizonaUnavailable$1,127.16
ArkansasUnavailable$1,004.24
AtlantaUnavailable$1,219.47
AustinUnavailable$1,180.14
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,154.31
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,262.01
BeaumontUnavailable$1,110.55
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,127.62

22112 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
22112 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 22112 rate is calculated

Each of 22112’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 · 22112

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 13.72Practice expense 15.57Malpractice 5.77

35.0600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,171.04

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 22112

22112 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 22112

Vertebral excision

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 · 22112

Vertebral excision

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

22112 without 51 · national facility

$1,171.04

Vertebral excision

22112-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$585.52

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

22112 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

22112 vs 22101 vs 22110 vs 22114 vs 22116: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 22112
    Vertebral excision · 13.72 wRVU
    —
  • 22101
    Vertebral excision · 10.8 wRVU
    —
  • 22110
    Vertebral lesion excision · 13.65 wRVU
    —
  • 22114
    Spinal lesion excision · 13.72 wRVU
    —
  • 22116
    Vertebral excision · 2.26 wRVU
    —

How to choose

22101Vertebral excision
Choose 22101 for excision from a posterior vertebral component, such as the lamina or facet. Choose 22112 when the excised bone is part of the thoracic vertebral body.
22110Vertebral lesion excision
22110 describes the corresponding partial vertebral body excision for an intrinsic lesion at a cervical level; 22112 is for a thoracic level.
22114Spinal lesion excision
22114 describes the corresponding partial vertebral body excision for an intrinsic lesion at a lumbar level; 22112 is for a thoracic level.
22116Vertebral excision
22116 represents an additional vertebral segment when the qualifying excision extends to another segment; it is not the primary single-segment code.

Codes related to 22112

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

Codes related to 22112
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
22110Vertebral lesion excisionPartial vertebral body excision for an intrinsic lesion at a cervical level.No office rate
22114Spinal lesion excisionPartial vertebral body excision for an intrinsic lesion at a lumbar level.No office rate
Add-on codes
22116Vertebral excisionAdditional-segment code that may be reported with qualifying vertebral body excision.No office rate
Used instead
22101Vertebral excisionThoracic lesion excision from a posterior vertebral component rather than the vertebral body.No office rate

22112 billing questions

How is this code different from 22101?

22112 describes partial removal of the thoracic vertebral body. 22101 describes excision of a lesion from a posterior vertebral component, such as the lamina or facet.

Can this code be used when spinal cord or nerve root decompression is performed?

This code describes vertebral body excision without decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. Confirm that the documented service matches that distinction before selecting it.

When is 22116 reported with this code?

22116 is the additional-segment code for qualifying vertebral body excision at another vertebral segment. The operative documentation should identify each segment treated.

Does modifier 50 apply to a bilateral thoracic procedure?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

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.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. 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 22112PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,048 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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