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Billing code 27050: Joint biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs

Surgical biopsy of the sacroiliac joint obtains joint tissue for diagnostic evaluation when disease affecting this articulation requires tissue diagnosis.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $399.81 for 27050 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27050

Joint biopsy

Work RVUs
4.62
Total RVUs
11.97
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$399.81

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27050 →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 27050 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 27050 covers

A surgeon obtains tissue from the sacroiliac joint for diagnostic evaluation, such as when infection, inflammatory disease, or a lesion affecting the joint requires tissue diagnosis. This is a surgical service typically performed by an orthopedic surgeon or another surgeon treating disorders of the pelvis and sacroiliac articulation, usually in an operating room or other surgical setting.

Select this code when the sampled structure is the sacroiliac joint, rather than nearby soft tissue or the hip joint. The operative report should identify the joint and side, describe the biopsy procedure, and support the diagnostic reason for obtaining tissue. This major surgery code includes 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. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon payment require supporting documentation; 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 27050 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

27050 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$358.80
Alaska*Unavailable$475.75
ArizonaUnavailable$388.42
ArkansasUnavailable$353.70
AtlantaUnavailable$410.38
AustinUnavailable$408.61
BakersfieldUnavailable$410.04
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$425.68
BeaumontUnavailable$378.35
BrazoriaUnavailable$391.79

27050 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
27050 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 27050 rate is calculated

Each of 27050’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 · 27050

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work4.62

4.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.35

6.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.00

1.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

11.9700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$399.81

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 27050

27050 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27050

Joint biopsy

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 · 27050

Joint biopsy

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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

27050 without 50 · national facility

$399.81

Joint biopsy

27050-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$599.72

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

27050 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 27050

    Joint biopsy4.62 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 27052

    Joint biopsy7.23 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 27040

    Soft-tissue biopsy2.85 wRVU

    $342.03

  • 27041

    Soft-tissue biopsy9.93 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

27052Joint biopsy
Choose 27050 for a sacroiliac joint biopsy and 27052 for a hip joint biopsy. The specific joint sampled determines the code.
27040Soft-tissue biopsy
This code is for biopsy of the sacroiliac joint. Code 27040 applies when the sampled target is superficial soft tissue rather than the joint.
27041Soft-tissue biopsy
This code is for biopsy of the sacroiliac joint. Code 27041 applies when the sampled target is deep soft tissue rather than the joint.

Codes related to 27050

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

Codes related to 27050
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27052Joint biopsyBiopsy of the hip joint rather than the sacroiliac joint.No office rate
27040Soft-tissue biopsyBiopsy of superficial soft tissue near the hip or pelvis, not the joint.$302.28–$448.58
27041Soft-tissue biopsyBiopsy of deep soft tissue near the hip or pelvis, not the joint.No office rate

27050 billing questions

How is this distinguished from a biopsy of the hip joint?

Use this code when the sacroiliac joint is the biopsy site. Code 27052 describes biopsy of the hip joint.

Can a nearby soft-tissue biopsy code be used instead?

Use a soft-tissue biopsy code when the sampled target is soft tissue, not the sacroiliac joint itself. The operative note should establish the tissue and site sampled.

What postoperative care is included?

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

How is bilateral sacroiliac joint biopsy reported?

Report bilateral performance with modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

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 27050PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,727 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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