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Billing code 27412: Cartilage implantationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports implantation of a patient’s cultured cartilage cells to treat a focal knee articular-cartilage defect, including the cartilage harvest and implantation stages.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,494.69 for 27412 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27412

Cartilage implantation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
24.12
Total RVUs
44.75
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,494.69

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27412 → · 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 27412 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 27412 covers

This procedure treats a focal articular-cartilage defect by implanting cartilage cells taken from the same patient and expanded in culture. An orthopedic surgeon harvests cartilage for the cell preparation, then performs the implantation at a later stage, commonly through an arthrotomy. The treatment is directed at a localized cartilage lesion rather than generalized knee arthritis or a loose cartilage fragment.

Report the code for the autologous cell implantation service; cartilage harvest and the arthrotomy needed for implantation are included, not separately coded as independent procedures. The operative record should establish the focal defect, the autologous cell technique, and the implantation performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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 27412 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

27412 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,355.61
Alaska*Unavailable$1,854.22
ArizonaUnavailable$1,453.97
ArkansasUnavailable$1,338.59
AtlantaUnavailable$1,539.83
AustinUnavailable$1,506.80
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,492.70
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,585.98
BeaumontUnavailable$1,435.93
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,458.78

27412 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
27412 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 27412 rate is calculated

Each of 27412’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 · 27412

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 24.12Practice expense 15.50Malpractice 5.13

44.7500 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,494.69

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 27412

27412 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27412

Cartilage implantation

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 · 27412

Cartilage implantation

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

27412 without 50 · national facility

$1,494.69

Cartilage implantation

27412-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,242.04

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

27412 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

27412 vs 27415 vs 27416 vs 27403: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 27412
    Cartilage implantation · 24.12 wRVU
    —
  • 27415
    Knee allograft · 19.5 wRVU
    —
  • 27416
    Knee cartilage graft · 13.81 wRVU
    —
  • 27403
    Meniscus repair · 8.4 wRVU
    —

How to choose

27415Knee allograft
Choose this code for cultured cells from the patient. Code 27415 describes treatment using donor osteochondral tissue.
27416Knee cartilage graft
Code 27416 transfers osteochondral tissue harvested from the patient; this code implants cultured cartilage cells rather than a cartilage-and-bone plug.
27403Meniscus repair
Code 27403 describes a knee cartilage repair procedure. This code is for implantation of autologous cultured chondrocytes to treat a focal cartilage defect.

Codes related to 27412

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

Codes related to 27412
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27415Knee allograftTreats a knee cartilage defect with an osteochondral allograft rather than cultured autologous cells.No office rate
27416Knee cartilage graftUses an osteochondral autograft transfer instead of implanting cultured cartilage cells.No office rate
27403Meniscus repairRepairs knee cartilage; distinguish that repair procedure from autologous cell implantation.No office rate

27412 billing questions

How is this different from an osteochondral graft?

This procedure implants the patient’s cultured cartilage cells. Osteochondral graft procedures transfer a piece of cartilage with underlying bone, using donor tissue or tissue harvested from the patient.

Can the cartilage harvest be billed separately?

No. The harvest for the cell preparation is included in this implantation service, as is the arthrotomy needed to implant the cells.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the focal articular-cartilage defect, the autologous cell technique, the implantation, and the operative details. The record should also support the cartilage harvest associated with the cell preparation.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. Unrelated services or separately identifiable procedures require their own documentation and coding.

How are bilateral procedures and multiple procedures handled?

CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. For multiple procedures performed 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?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.

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 27412PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,879 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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