FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

Billing code 27033: Hip arthrotomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open hip-joint surgery to inspect the joint or remove an intra-articular loose body or foreign material.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities356 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $893.47 for 27033 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27033

Hip arthrotomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
13.76
Total RVUs
26.75
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$893.47

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27033 → · 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 27033 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 27033 covers

An orthopedic surgeon opens the hip joint to examine its interior or remove a loose body or foreign material. The service may be performed in a hospital or another surgical setting when a joint problem requires direct operative access; it is distinct from opening the joint to drain it or taking a specimen for diagnosis alone. The operative report should identify the reason for surgery, the joint findings, and whether exploration or removal was performed.

Report this code when the documented work includes hip-joint exploration or removal of a loose or foreign body. The arthrotomy access and that work are represented together, rather than as separate services for the same operative work. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued 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 27033 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

27033 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$809.21
Alaska*Unavailable$1,101.52
ArizonaUnavailable$869.04
ArkansasUnavailable$798.86
AtlantaUnavailable$919.78
AustinUnavailable$902.84
BakersfieldUnavailable$896.52
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$948.44
BeaumontUnavailable$856.27
BrazoriaUnavailable$872.74

27033 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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
27033 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 27033 rate is calculated

Each of 27033’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 · 27033

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 13.76Practice expense 10.08Malpractice 2.91

26.7500 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$893.47

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 27033

27033 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27033

Hip 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)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 · 27033

Hip 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

27033 without 50 · national facility

$893.47

Hip arthrotomy

27033-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,340.21

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

27033 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

27033 vs 27030 vs 27052 vs 27054: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 27033
    Hip arthrotomy · 13.76 wRVU
    —
  • 27030
    Hip drainage · 13.31 wRVU
    —
  • 27052
    Joint biopsy · 7.23 wRVU
    —
  • 27054
    Hip synovectomy · 8.98 wRVU
    —

How to choose

27030Hip drainage
Choose 27033 for hip-joint exploration or loose-body or foreign-material removal. Choose 27030 when the arthrotomy is performed for drainage.
27052Joint biopsy
27052 is for biopsy of the hip joint. Exploration or removal of a loose or foreign body supports 27033 instead.
27054Hip synovectomy
27054 addresses removal of the hip-joint lining. 27033 addresses joint exploration or loose-body or foreign-material removal.

Codes related to 27033

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

Codes related to 27033
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27030Hip drainageHip arthrotomy for drainage rather than exploration or loose-body or foreign-material removal.No office rate
27052Joint biopsyHip-joint biopsy when the operative purpose is obtaining tissue for diagnosis.No office rate
27054Hip synovectomyHip-joint lining removal when synovial tissue, rather than a loose body, is the operative target.No office rate

27033 billing questions

When should this be reported instead of hip arthrotomy for drainage?

Use this code for hip-joint exploration or removal of a loose or foreign body. Report 27030 when the operative service is arthrotomy with drainage.

Is the joint opening separately billable from the exploration or removal?

The arthrotomy access and the exploration or qualifying body removal are represented together. Do not separately report the access work for the same procedure.

What documentation supports this code?

The operative report should describe the indication, the hip-joint findings, and the exploration or loose-body or foreign-material removal performed.

How does Medicare handle bilateral reporting?

When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays it at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided.

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 27033PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,717 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 27033 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 27033 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →