Billing code 25151: Radius excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $545.77 for 25151 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 25151 covers

An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses this service to remove a limited portion of the radius. The work may involve saucerizing bone or removing a devitalized bone fragment, such as in a focal process requiring partial excision. It is performed in an operative setting; the operative report should identify the radial site and describe the extent and purpose of the bone removal. The code is specific to the radius, not the ulna or a wrist-joint procedure.

Report it when the surgeon’s documented work supports partial radial bone excision, rather than curettage of a bone lesion or a more extensive tumor resection. The record should make clear which bone was treated and what was 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 the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 25151 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

25151 rates by state

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

How the 25151 rate is calculated

Each of 25151’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 25151

25151 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

25151 compared with similar codes

How to choose

25150Ulna resection

25150 describes partial excision of the ulna; this code describes partial excision of the radius. Follow the bone identified in the operative report.

25120Bone lesion removal

25120 is used for excision or curettage of a radius or ulna bone cyst or benign tumor. This code represents partial radial bone excision rather than that lesion-focused procedure.

25170Bone tumor resection

25170 represents resection of a radius or ulna tumor. Choose it when the documented tumor resection is more extensive than partial radial excision.

Codes related to 25151

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates