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Billing code 23480: Clavicle osteotomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a planned clavicle bone cut to correct alignment or shape, with or without fixation, rather than treatment of an acute fracture.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities48 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $763.88 for 23480 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 23480

Clavicle osteotomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
11.25
Total RVUs
22.87
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$763.88

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 23480 → · 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 23480 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 23480 covers

An orthopedic surgeon cuts and reshapes the clavicle to correct a structural alignment problem. The surgeon may use plates, screws, or other internal fixation to hold the bone in its corrected position. This is generally performed in an operating room, such as a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility, when a planned osteotomy is needed rather than routine fracture fixation or treatment of a nonunion or malunion.

The operative report should identify the clavicle, the reason for the osteotomy, the bone cut and correction performed, and any fixation used. Internal fixation used to stabilize the osteotomy is part of the service. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; co-surgeons require 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 23480 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

23480 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$690.59
Alaska*Unavailable$935.78
ArizonaUnavailable$742.79
ArkansasUnavailable$681.58
AtlantaUnavailable$786.05
AustinUnavailable$773.35
BakersfieldUnavailable$769.24
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$811.37
BeaumontUnavailable$730.47
BrazoriaUnavailable$746.48

23480 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
23480 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 23480 rate is calculated

Each of 23480’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 · 23480

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 11.25Practice expense 9.22Malpractice 2.40

22.8700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$763.88

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 23480

23480 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 23480

Clavicle osteotomy

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
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 · 23480

Clavicle osteotomy

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

23480 without 50 · national facility

$763.88

Clavicle osteotomy

23480-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,145.82

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

23480 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

23480 vs 23485 vs 23515 vs 23490: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 23480
    Clavicle osteotomy · 11.25 wRVU
    —
  • 23485
    Clavicle osteotomy · 13.56 wRVU
    —
  • 23515
    Clavicle fracture repair · 9.45 wRVU
    —
  • 23490
    Clavicle reinforcement · 11.86 wRVU
    —

How to choose

23485Clavicle osteotomy
Choose 23485 when the osteotomy is for clavicular nonunion or malunion. Code 23480 is for a clavicle osteotomy for another indication.
23515Clavicle fracture repair
This code concerns a planned osteotomy for correction; 23515 is for open treatment of a clavicle fracture.
23490Clavicle reinforcement
Code 23490 addresses prophylactic reinforcement of the clavicle. Code 23480 involves cutting and correcting the bone's alignment or shape.

Codes related to 23480

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

Codes related to 23480
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
23485Clavicle osteotomyRelated clavicle osteotomy code for treatment of nonunion or malunion.No office rate
Used instead
23515Clavicle fracture repairOpen treatment is used for a clavicle fracture, rather than a planned corrective osteotomy.No office rate
23490Clavicle reinforcementA clavicle reinforcement procedure addresses prophylactic support rather than bone realignment.No office rate

23480 billing questions

How does this differ from 23485?

Use 23480 for a clavicle osteotomy for a reason other than treatment of a nonunion or malunion. Code 23485 is the related option when the osteotomy addresses a clavicular nonunion or malunion.

Is internal fixation separately reported?

Fixation used to stabilize the osteotomy is included in this service. Document the fixation performed, but do not report a separate fixation procedure solely for that stabilization.

What does the 90-day global period include?

It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. The operative and follow-up documentation should support the relationship of care to the surgery.

How is bilateral clavicle surgery reported?

When the procedure is performed bilaterally, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with 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 23480PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,214 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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