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Billing code 27303: Bone drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative drainage of a bone lesion in the femur or knee region when treatment requires opening the bone cortex.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities261 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $603.89 for 27303 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27303

Bone drainage

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
8.41
Total RVUs
18.08
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$603.89

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27303 → · 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 27303 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 27303 covers

This operation treats a lesion within bone, such as an abscess associated with osteomyelitis, by surgically opening the cortex to drain the involved area. It is generally performed by an orthopedic surgeon in an operating room, often in a hospital or other facility setting. The target is bone in the femur or knee region, rather than a collection confined to surrounding soft tissue or the knee joint.

Report the service when the surgeon’s operative work includes opening bone to drain the lesion; documentation should identify the site, the lesion, and the drainage performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 27303 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

27303 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$545.56
Alaska*Unavailable$735.46
ArizonaUnavailable$587.31
ArkansasUnavailable$538.35
AtlantaUnavailable$620.65
AustinUnavailable$613.19
BakersfieldUnavailable$611.93
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$641.49
BeaumontUnavailable$575.92
BrazoriaUnavailable$590.97

27303 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
27303 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 27303 rate is calculated

Each of 27303’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 · 27303

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 8.41Practice expense 7.93Malpractice 1.74

18.0800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$603.89

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 27303

27303 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27303

Bone drainage

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 · 27303

Bone drainage

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

27303 without 50 · national facility

$603.89

Bone drainage

27303-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$905.84

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

27303 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

27303 vs 27301 vs 27310 vs 20245: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 27303
    Bone drainage · 8.41 wRVU
    —
  • 27301
    Deep drainage · 6.61 wRVU
    $720.12
  • 27310
    Knee arthrotomy · 9.75 wRVU
    —
  • 20245
    Bone biopsy · 5.85 wRVU
    —

How to choose

27301Deep drainage
Use 27303 when the lesion being drained is in bone and the surgeon opens the cortex. Use 27301 for a deep abscess in thigh or knee soft tissue.
27310Knee arthrotomy
27310 concerns operative work within the knee joint. This code concerns drainage of a lesion in bone in the femur or knee region.
20245Bone biopsy
20245 obtains a deep bone specimen with a trocar or needle. This code describes operative drainage requiring opening the bone cortex.

Codes related to 27303

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

Codes related to 27303
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27301Deep drainageDrainage is directed to a deep thigh or knee soft-tissue lesion rather than bone.$633.17–$921.54
27310Knee arthrotomyApplies to operative exploration or treatment within the knee joint, not drainage of a bone lesion.No office rate
20240Bone biopsyBone biopsy by trocar or needle is for obtaining a specimen, not operative drainage.No office rate
20245Bone biopsyDeep bone biopsy by trocar or needle samples bone rather than draining a lesion.No office rate

27303 billing questions

When should this be used instead of 27301?

Use 27303 when the surgeon opens bone in the femur or knee region to drain a bone lesion. Code 27301 describes drainage of a deep thigh or knee soft-tissue lesion.

Is drainage of a knee joint the same service?

No. This code is for drainage involving bone; a procedure directed into the knee joint is a different service, such as the arthrotomy represented by 27310.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should identify the femur or knee-region bone site, describe the lesion, and document opening the bone cortex and draining the involved area.

How does the 90-day global period affect follow-up billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. The code is classified as major surgery.

How are bilateral procedures and multiple same-session procedures handled?

Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

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 27303PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,829 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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