Billing code 27086: Foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $339.69 for 27086 nationally in the office and $167.34 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $296.00–$456.99.

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

What 27086 covers

This service covers surgical removal of a foreign object from the subcutaneous tissue over the hip or pelvis. It is selected for a superficial object in that anatomic region; removal from deeper tissue is reported with the corresponding deep-removal code. An orthopedic surgeon or another surgeon may perform the procedure, commonly in a facility setting. Medicare recorded 31 facility services and no office services for this code in 2024.

The operative report should identify the hip or pelvic site, describe the object’s superficial location, and document its removal. This minor procedure has a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during those 10 days are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 27086 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

27086 rates by state

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

How the 27086 rate is calculated

Each of 27086’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 27086

27086 has a 10-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

27086 compared with similar codes

How to choose

27087Foreign body removal

Choose 27086 for an object in subcutaneous tissue of the hip or pelvis; 27087 is for an object in deeper tissue, such as beneath fascia or within muscle.

10120Foreign body removal

This code is for simple subcutaneous foreign-body removal at a site other than the hip or pelvis; 27086 is the site-specific choice for the hip or pelvis.

10121Foreign body removal

This code is for complicated subcutaneous foreign-body removal at a site other than the hip or pelvis; 27086 applies to the hip or pelvis site.

Codes related to 27086

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