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Billing code 22852: Spinal hardware removalMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of posterior segmental spinal fixation hardware, such as a multilevel screw-and-rod construct, when the construct is taken out.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $692.07 for 22852 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 22852

Spinal hardware removal

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.14
Total RVUs
20.72
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$692.07

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 22852 → · 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 22852 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 22852 covers

A spine surgeon typically reports this service when removing posterior segmental fixation hardware, such as screws and connecting rods spanning multiple vertebral segments. Removal may occur during revision surgery when hardware is no longer needed, is prominent or painful, or must be taken out as part of treatment for a hardware-related problem. The operative report should identify the posterior construct and document the work performed to remove it; the code is distinct from removal of posterior nonsegmental or anterior instrumentation.

Report the service for the removal performed, not as separate left- and right-sided procedures; modifier 50 is inappropriate. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 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 22852 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

22852 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$614.30
Alaska*Unavailable$820.92
ArizonaUnavailable$669.32
ArkansasUnavailable$604.78
AtlantaUnavailable$716.78
AustinUnavailable$698.74
BakersfieldUnavailable$688.64
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$740.80
BeaumontUnavailable$659.06
BrazoriaUnavailable$670.94

22852 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
22852 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 22852 rate is calculated

Each of 22852’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 · 22852

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.14Practice expense 8.73Malpractice 2.85

20.7200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$692.07

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 22852

22852 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 22852

Spinal hardware removal

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 · 22852

Spinal hardware removal

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

22852 without 51 · national facility

$692.07

Spinal hardware removal

22852-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$346.04

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

22852 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

22852 vs 22850 vs 22855 vs 22842: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 22852
    Spinal hardware removal · 9.14 wRVU
    —
  • 22850
    Spinal hardware removal · 9.57 wRVU
    —
  • 22855
    Hardware removal · 15.46 wRVU
    —
  • 22842
    Spinal fixation · 12.25 wRVU
    —

How to choose

22850Spinal hardware removal
Choose 22852 for removal of posterior segmental instrumentation. 22850 describes removal of posterior nonsegmental instrumentation.
22855Hardware removal
22855 describes removal of anterior instrumentation. 22852 is for posterior segmental instrumentation.
22842Spinal fixation
22842 describes insertion of posterior segmental instrumentation across a specified span; 22852 reports removal of an existing segmental construct.

Codes related to 22852

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

Codes related to 22852
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
22850Spinal hardware removalRemoval of posterior nonsegmental instrumentation rather than a segmental construct.No office rate
Used instead
22855Hardware removalRemoval code for anterior instrumentation rather than posterior segmental instrumentation.No office rate
22849Spinal fixationUsed for reinsertion of spinal fixation hardware rather than removal alone.No office rate

22852 billing questions

How does 22852 differ from 22850?

22852 is for removal of posterior segmental instrumentation. 22850 is used for removal of posterior nonsegmental instrumentation.

Can 22852 be reported for anterior hardware removal?

No. 22852 describes removal of posterior segmental instrumentation; 22855 is the related code for anterior instrumentation removal.

Does 22852 include placement of replacement hardware?

No. It identifies removal of the existing posterior segmental construct. Any replacement or reinsertion must be supported by the operative record and coded under the applicable service code.

Should the removal be billed with modifier 50?

No. This is reported for the construct removed, not as separate right- and left-sided services, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

What documentation supports 22852?

The operative report should identify the posterior segmental instrumentation and describe its removal. It should also make clear that the work was not removal of nonsegmental posterior or anterior instrumentation.

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 22852PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,123 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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