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Billing code 23333: Foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of a retained foreign body embedded in deep shoulder tissue, such as beneath fascia or within muscle.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities109 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $459.60 for 23333 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 23333

Foreign body removal

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
5.85
Total RVUs
13.76
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$459.60

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 23333 → · 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 23333 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 23333 covers

This service covers surgical removal of a retained object from deep shoulder tissues, including a location beneath fascia or within muscle. An orthopedic surgeon typically performs the procedure when the object cannot be retrieved from a superficial position and requires surgical exposure and dissection. The code distinguishes deep tissue removal from removal of a foreign body limited to the subcutaneous layer.

Select the code based on the documented depth and location of the object, and describe the tissue involved and the work required to retrieve it. The service has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 applies to bilateral procedures, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery 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 23333 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

23333 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$413.67
Alaska*Unavailable$553.01
ArizonaUnavailable$446.69
ArkansasUnavailable$407.98
AtlantaUnavailable$472.13
AustinUnavailable$468.13
BakersfieldUnavailable$468.34
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$488.86
BeaumontUnavailable$436.61
BrazoriaUnavailable$449.97

23333 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
23333 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 23333 rate is calculated

Each of 23333’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 · 23333

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 5.85Practice expense 6.66Malpractice 1.25

13.7600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$459.60

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 23333

23333 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 23333

Foreign body 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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
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 · 23333

Foreign body 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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

23333 without 50 · national facility

$459.60

Foreign body removal

23333-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$689.40

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

23333 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

23333 vs 23330 vs 23334 vs 23335: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 23333
    Foreign body removal · 5.85 wRVU
    —
  • 23330
    Foreign-body removal · 1.85 wRVU
    $328.33
  • 23334
    Prosthesis removal · 15.11 wRVU
    —
  • 23335
    Prosthesis removal · 18.53 wRVU
    —

How to choose

23330Foreign-body removal
23330 applies to a foreign body in the subcutaneous layer. Choose 23333 when the object is beneath fascia or within muscle.
23334Prosthesis removal
23334 is for removal of a shoulder prosthesis. Choose 23333 when the removed object is a retained foreign body in deep shoulder tissue.
23335Prosthesis removal
23335 concerns shoulder prosthesis removal rather than removal of a nonprosthetic foreign body embedded in deep shoulder tissue.

Codes related to 23333

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

Codes related to 23333
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
23330Foreign-body removalRemoval of a shoulder foreign body from the subcutaneous layer rather than deep tissue.$286.15–$440.83
Used instead
23334Prosthesis removalUse the applicable prosthesis-removal code when the target is a shoulder prosthesis, not a retained foreign body.No office rate
23335Prosthesis removalA shoulder prosthesis-removal code for cases involving a prosthetic component rather than a nonprosthetic foreign body.No office rate

23333 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 23330?

Use 23333 when the foreign body is in deep shoulder tissue, such as beneath fascia or within muscle. Code 23330 describes removal from the subcutaneous layer.

Does this code describe removal of a shoulder prosthesis?

No. It describes removal of a retained foreign body from deep shoulder tissue. Shoulder prosthesis removal is represented by the applicable prosthesis-removal code.

What documentation supports reporting 23333?

Document the shoulder location, the object removed, its depth or involved tissue, and the surgical work performed to retrieve it.

How does the 90-day global period affect related care?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral removal?

Yes. CMS treats this as a bilateral procedure when reported with modifier 50, with payment at 150%.

When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?

CMS payment for an assistant at surgery is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 23333PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,189 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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