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Billing code 22902: Abdominal wall excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Removal of a small soft-tissue mass confined to the subcutaneous abdominal wall, reported when the excised tumor measures less than 3 cm.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $517.38 for 22902 nationally in the office and $331.34 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $452.43–$665.89.

Medicare rate · 22902

Abdominal wall excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
4.31
Total RVUs
15.49
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$517.38

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 22902 → · 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 22902 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 22902 covers

This service removes a soft-tissue tumor located in the subcutaneous layer of the abdominal wall, such as a small lipoma. The surgeon exposes and excises the mass while distinguishing it from deeper involvement of the abdominal wall. It may be performed in an office procedure room or a surgical facility, depending on the clinical circumstances and the surgeon’s approach.

Select this code when the tumor is subcutaneous and measures less than 3 cm; use the operative report to support its size and tissue depth. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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 50% reduction. Bilateral adjustment is not appropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery payment 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 22902 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

$452.43 to $665.89

$452.43$559.16$665.89
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

22902 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$459.66$296.87
Alaska*$595.26$397.13
Arizona$501.77$321.49
Arkansas$452.43$292.62
Atlanta$530.40$341.38
Austin$533.18$336.35
Bakersfield$538.56$334.66
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$552.80$353.18
Beaumont$484.45$315.15
Brazoria$507.63$323.26

22902 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$452.43

$600.78

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

View every state and territory as a table
22902 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$595.261
AL$459.661
AR$452.431
AZ$501.771
CA$535.66–$665.8929
CO$532.891
CT$553.771
DC$589.301
DE$510.441
FL$520.50–$585.873
GA$487.77–$530.402
GU$548.601
HI$548.601
IA$467.131
ID$471.531
IL$508.12–$566.364
IN$474.361
KS$467.241
KY$476.861
LA$477.05–$502.322
MA$530.33–$584.862
MD$519.94–$589.303
ME$476.86–$501.152
MI$492.61–$530.082
MN$502.011
MO$469.85–$501.243
MS$461.111
MT$517.311
NC$481.851
ND$496.151
NE$469.151
NH$526.761
NJ$557.67–$582.912
NM$496.541
NV$511.751
NY$489.88–$621.045
OH$488.291
OK$473.281
OR$505.41–$548.022
PA$487.72–$540.712
PR$520.561
RI$527.401
SC$486.361
SD$493.651
TN$470.101
TX$484.45–$533.188
UT$493.471
VA$501.13–$589.302
VI$520.561
VT$496.351
WA$528.61–$594.692
WI$478.471
WV$488.551
WY$508.091

How the 22902 rate is calculated

Each of 22902’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 · 22902

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 4.31Practice expense 10.11Malpractice 1.07

15.4900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$517.38

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 22902

22902 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 22902

Abdominal wall 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 · 22902

Abdominal wall 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

22902 without 51 · national office

$517.38

Abdominal wall excision

22902-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$258.69

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

22902 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

22902 vs 22903 vs 22900 vs 22901 vs 22904: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 22902
    Abdominal wall excision · 4.31 wRVU
    $517.38
  • 22903
    Tumor excision · 6.23 wRVU
    —
  • 22900
    Tumor excision · 8.11 wRVU
    —
  • 22901
    Tumor excision · 9.86 wRVU
    —
  • 22904
    Abdominal tumor resection · 16.27 wRVU
    —

How to choose

22903Tumor excision
Use 22903 for a subcutaneous abdominal wall tumor measuring 3 cm or more. This code applies to a subcutaneous tumor under 3 cm.
22900Tumor excision
Use 22900 when the abdominal wall tumor is in a deeper tissue plane and under 5 cm. This code is for a subcutaneous tumor under 3 cm.
22901Tumor excision
Use 22901 for a deeper abdominal wall tumor measuring 5 cm or more. This code describes a smaller, subcutaneous tumor.
22904Abdominal tumor resection
22904 describes radical resection of an abdominal tumor under 5 cm, a different operative service from excision of a small subcutaneous mass.

Codes related to 22902

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

Codes related to 22902
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
22903Tumor excisionSubcutaneous abdominal wall tumor excision at the 3 cm-or-greater size level.No office rate
22900Tumor excisionAbdominal wall tumor excision for a deeper tumor under 5 cm.No office rate
22901Tumor excisionAbdominal wall tumor excision for a deeper tumor measuring 5 cm or more.No office rate
Used instead
22904Abdominal tumor resectionRadical abdominal tumor resection for a different, more extensive operative service.No office rate
22905Tumor resectionRadical abdominal tumor resection for a different, more extensive operative service.No office rate

22902 billing questions

How is this distinguished from 22903?

Both describe subcutaneous abdominal wall tumor excision; choose 22902 for a tumor under 3 cm and 22903 for one measuring 3 cm or more. Document the tumor size in the operative record.

When should 22900 or 22901 be used instead?

Those codes describe abdominal wall tumors in a deeper tissue plane rather than the subcutaneous layer. The operative findings should establish whether the tumor is superficial or deep.

Is the incision length used to select the size level?

No. Select the size level from the tumor measurement, not the length of the incision. Record the tumor’s size and location in the operative report.

Can modifier 50 be reported for tumors on both sides?

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

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. Separately consider only services that are outside the included global-period care and meet applicable reporting requirements.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery payment 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 22902PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,143 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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