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Billing code 24149: Elbow resectionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports extensive radical removal of a tumor involving the elbow, rather than a limited excision or resection confined to a specific bone.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities420 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,090.21 for 24149 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 24149

Elbow resection

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
15.81
Total RVUs
32.64
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,090.21

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 24149 → · 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 24149 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 24149 covers

An orthopedic surgeon, often working in orthopedic oncology, uses this service for extensive removal of a tumor involving the elbow. The operation removes the tumor with the surrounding involved tissue and may include affected elbow structures or bone. It is generally performed in a hospital operating room when a limited excision would not represent the planned extent of removal.

Select this code when the operative report supports radical resection at the elbow; document the tumor location and the structures removed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 24149 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

24149 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$987.12
Alaska*Unavailable$1,336.18
ArizonaUnavailable$1,060.78
ArkansasUnavailable$974.41
AtlantaUnavailable$1,120.43
AustinUnavailable$1,105.60
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,102.48
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,157.11
BeaumontUnavailable$1,041.63
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,066.96

24149 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
24149 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 24149 rate is calculated

Each of 24149’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 · 24149

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 15.81Practice expense 13.65Malpractice 3.18

32.6400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,090.21

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 24149

24149 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 24149

Elbow resection

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)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 · 24149

Elbow resection

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

24149 without 50 · national facility

$1,090.21

Elbow resection

24149-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,635.32

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

24149 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

24149 vs 24150 vs 24152 vs 24155 vs 24140: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 24149
    Elbow resection · 15.81 wRVU
    —
  • 24150
    Bone tumor resection · 22.87 wRVU
    —
  • 24152
    Tumor resection · 19.49 wRVU
    —
  • 24155
    Elbow resection · 11.79 wRVU
    —
  • 24140
    Bone excision · 9.31 wRVU
    —

How to choose

24150Bone tumor resection
Use 24150 when the radical tumor resection is centered on the distal or shaft humerus; 24149 identifies radical resection involving the elbow.
24152Tumor resection
Use 24152 for radical tumor resection centered on the radial head or neck. The operative anatomy distinguishes it from radical elbow resection.
24155Elbow resection
24155 reports resection of the elbow joint. Choose 24149 when the documented operation is a radical resection for an elbow tumor.
24140Bone excision
24140 describes partial excision of humeral bone, not radical elbow tumor resection. The documented extent and target of surgery guide selection.

Codes related to 24149

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

Codes related to 24149
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
24150Bone tumor resectionRadical tumor resection focused on the distal or shaft humerus.No office rate
24152Tumor resectionRadical tumor resection focused on the radial head or neck.No office rate
Used instead
24155Elbow resectionElbow joint resection when the service is not a radical tumor resection.No office rate
24140Bone excisionPartial humeral bone excision for a more limited bone procedure.No office rate

24149 billing questions

How is this different from resection of the elbow joint, 24155?

24149 describes radical removal involving the elbow, typically for an extensive tumor resection. Use 24155 when the service is resection of the elbow joint rather than a radical tumor resection.

When should 24150 or 24152 be considered instead?

Those codes describe radical tumor resections centered on the distal or shaft humerus, or the radial head and neck, respectively. Choose based on the documented anatomic focus of the resection.

What documentation supports 24149?

The operative report should identify the tumor’s elbow location, the radical extent of removal, and the involved structures removed. A limited excision or bone procedure alone does not establish this service.

How is bilateral surgery reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What postoperative care is included?

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

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 24149PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,283 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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