CPT code 27048: Tumor excision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $586.85 for 27048 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 27048 covers

Code 27048 describes operative removal of a soft-tissue tumor in the hip or pelvic area that lies beneath the superficial fascia, such as within muscle, and measures less than 5 cm. An orthopedic surgeon, often an orthopedic oncologist, may perform this in an operating room for a known or suspected mass; the removed tissue is ordinarily submitted for pathologic examination. The code hinges on the tumor’s deep location and size, not simply the length of the skin incision.

Choose this code when the operative report supports excision of a deep lesion under 5 cm. Document the site, depth or compartment, tumor dimensions, and whether the surgeon excised or resected it. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 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 may be made; 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 27048 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

27048 rates by state

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

How the 27048 rate is calculated

Each of 27048’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 27048

27048 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

27048 compared with similar codes

How to choose

27045Tumor excision

Both cover deep hip or pelvic tumor excision. Choose 27048 for tumors under 5 cm and 27045 for tumors measuring 5 cm or more.

27043Soft-tissue excision

This code is for a superficial hip or pelvic lesion 3 cm or larger. Code 27048 is for a deep tumor under 5 cm.

27047Soft tissue excision

This code is for a superficial hip or pelvic lesion under 3 cm; 27048 requires a deep tumor, regardless of the superficial-lesion size grouping.

27049Tumor resection

Both address deep hip or pelvic tumors under 5 cm. The operative service distinguishes them: excision for 27048 versus resection for 27049.

Codes related to 27048

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