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Billing code 24000: Elbow arthrotomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Open elbow joint surgery for exploration, drainage, or removal of an intra-articular foreign body, commonly performed for infection or retained material.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities423 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $461.27 for 24000 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 24000

Elbow arthrotomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
5.93
Total RVUs
13.81
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$461.27

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 24000 → · 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 24000 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 24000 covers

This service involves opening the elbow joint to inspect it, drain material such as infected fluid, or remove a foreign body within the joint. Orthopedic surgeons commonly perform it in an operating room when an open approach is needed, including for septic arthritis requiring drainage or retained material that cannot be managed through an arthroscopic approach. The operative note should identify the joint-level problem and describe the open procedure and its findings.

Report this code for the open joint service; exploration, drainage, and foreign-body removal are included rather than separately reported as distinct services under this code. Distinguish it from an open capsular release, an arthrotomy performed for biopsy, and arthroscopic treatment. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 for a bilateral procedure is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 24000 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

24000 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$415.78
Alaska*Unavailable$556.46
ArizonaUnavailable$448.50
ArkansasUnavailable$410.14
AtlantaUnavailable$473.61
AustinUnavailable$469.92
BakersfieldUnavailable$470.45
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$490.33
BeaumontUnavailable$438.35
BrazoriaUnavailable$451.88

24000 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.

View every state and territory as a table
24000 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 24000 rate is calculated

Each of 24000’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 · 24000

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 5.93Practice expense 6.66Malpractice 1.22

13.8100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$461.27

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 24000

24000 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 24000

Elbow arthrotomy

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)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 · 24000

Elbow arthrotomy

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

24000 without 50 · national facility

$461.27

Elbow arthrotomy

24000-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$691.91

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

24000 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

24000 vs 24006 vs 24101 vs 29834 vs 24065: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 24000
    Elbow arthrotomy · 5.93 wRVU
    —
  • 24006
    Elbow release · 9.5 wRVU
    —
  • 24101
    Elbow arthrotomy · 6.14 wRVU
    —
  • 29834
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.26 wRVU
    —
  • 24065
    Soft-tissue biopsy · 2.08 wRVU
    $262.20

How to choose

24006Elbow release
Choose 24006 when the open elbow procedure releases a contracted capsule. Choose 24000 for exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal.
24101Elbow arthrotomy
Use 24101 when the open elbow arthrotomy includes biopsy. Use 24000 when the documented service is exploration, drainage, or removal of a foreign body.
29834Elbow arthroscopy
29834 is the arthroscopic route for elbow loose- or foreign-body removal; 24000 represents an open joint approach.
24065Soft-tissue biopsy
24065 is for biopsy of arm or elbow soft tissue, not an open procedure directed into the elbow joint.

Codes related to 24000

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

Codes related to 24000
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
24006Elbow releaseOpen elbow arthrotomy for capsular release, rather than exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal.No office rate
Used instead
24101Elbow arthrotomyOpen elbow arthrotomy with biopsy when obtaining joint tissue is the purpose.No office rate
29834Elbow arthroscopyArthroscopic removal of an elbow loose or foreign body rather than open removal.No office rate

24000 billing questions

When should this code be selected instead of 24006?

Use 24000 for open elbow joint exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal. Code 24006 describes an open capsular release, such as for contracture.

Can exploration, drainage, and foreign-body removal be reported separately?

They are included options within this open joint service, not separate services to report individually under this code.

How does this differ from arthroscopic foreign-body removal?

This code represents an open approach. When the surgeon removes a loose or foreign body arthroscopically, consider 29834 instead.

What documentation supports reporting 24000?

Document the elbow joint indication, why an open approach was performed, and the operative work and findings, such as drainage of an infected joint or removal of intra-articular material.

What is included in the global period?

The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

When may assistant or co-surgeon services be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. 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 24000PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,256 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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