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Billing code 27603: Deep drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical drainage of a deep abscess or hematoma in the leg or ankle, rather than drainage of a superficial skin collection or bursa.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $544.77 for 27603 nationally in the office and $371.42 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $481.40–$701.16.

Medicare rate · 27603

Deep drainage

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
5.1
Total RVUs
16.31
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$544.77

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27603 → · 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 27603 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 27603 covers

The surgeon makes an incision to reach and drain a deep abscess or hematoma in the leg or ankle. Orthopedic, trauma, and general surgeons may perform the service when a deep collection requires operative drainage, commonly in a hospital or other surgical setting. The operative report should identify the leg or ankle site, establish that the collection is deep, and describe the incision and drainage performed.

Select this code for a deep abscess or hematoma, not a superficial skin abscess, bursal collection, or collection in the thigh or knee region. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral services reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; 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 27603 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$481.40 to $701.16

$481.40$591.28$701.16
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

27603 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$488.47$336.79
Alaska*$638.48$453.87
Arizona$529.69$361.71
Arkansas$481.40$332.50
Atlanta$556.96$380.83
Austin$561.54$378.14
Bakersfield$568.98$378.99
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$579.87$393.86
Beaumont$511.65$353.91
Brazoria$536.28$364.49

27603 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$481.40

$638.48

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
27603 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$638.481
AL$488.471
AR$481.401
AZ$529.691
CA$566.40–$701.1629
CO$562.081
CT$581.091
DC$618.621
DE$538.391
FL$545.10–$605.843
GA$513.55–$556.962
GU$578.921
HI$578.921
IA$497.031
ID$501.081
IL$532.17–$587.474
IN$503.881
KS$496.531
KY$504.011
LA$503.95–$528.672
MA$559.47–$615.052
MD$548.08–$618.623
ME$505.66–$530.342
MI$518.83–$553.822
MN$533.101
MO$496.54–$528.333
MS$488.971
MT$544.711
NC$510.651
ND$526.521
NE$499.191
NH$555.021
NJ$586.18–$612.582
NM$522.421
NV$539.981
NY$518.46–$646.965
OH$515.111
OK$501.141
OR$534.27–$577.782
PA$514.90–$567.862
PR$548.091
RI$556.031
SC$514.041
SD$524.361
TN$499.261
TX$511.65–$561.548
UT$521.011
VA$529.89–$618.622
VI$548.091
VT$526.151
WA$557.85–$625.682
WI$509.071
WV$512.991
WY$536.781

How the 27603 rate is calculated

Each of 27603’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 · 27603

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 5.10Practice expense 10.29Malpractice 0.92

16.3100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$544.77

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 27603

27603 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27603

Deep 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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 27603

Deep 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

27603 without 50 · national office

$544.77

Deep drainage

27603-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$817.16

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

27603 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

27603 vs 27604 vs 27301 vs 10060 vs 10061: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 27603
    Deep drainage · 5.1 wRVU
    $544.77
  • 27604
    Bursa drainage · 4.48 wRVU
    $477.63−$67.14
  • 27301
    Deep drainage · 6.61 wRVU
    $720.12+$175.35
  • 10060
    Abscess drainage · 1.19 wRVU
    $128.59−$416.18
  • 10061
    Abscess drainage · 2.39 wRVU
    $220.11−$324.66

How to choose

27604Bursa drainage
Choose 27604 when the collection is in a lower-leg or ankle bursa; choose this code for a deep abscess or hematoma.
27301Deep drainage
Both address deep collections, but 27301 is for the thigh or knee region; this code is for the leg or ankle.
10060Abscess drainage
10060 is for simple drainage of a cutaneous abscess. This code is for a deep collection in the leg or ankle.
10061Abscess drainage
10061 describes complicated or multiple cutaneous abscess drainage; it does not identify a deep leg or ankle collection.

Codes related to 27603

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

Codes related to 27603
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27604Bursa drainageDrainage in the same region when the operative target is a bursa.$421.96–$614.25
27301Deep drainageDeep abscess, bursa, or hematoma drainage for the thigh or knee region.$633.17–$921.54
10060Abscess drainageUsed for a cutaneous abscess treated with simple incision and drainage.$114.57–$168.30
10061Abscess drainageUsed for complicated or multiple cutaneous abscess drainage.$196.54–$280.91
10140Fluid drainageFor incision and drainage of a hematoma, seroma, or fluid collection at a different depth or site.$154.61–$227.98

27603 billing questions

How is this different from drainage of a superficial abscess?

This code is for a deep collection in the leg or ankle. A superficial cutaneous abscess is generally reported with the applicable skin abscess drainage code.

When would 27604 be a better choice?

Use 27604 when the operative target is a bursa in the lower leg or ankle. This code describes drainage of a deep abscess or hematoma.

Does this code include postoperative visits?

CMS includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the global period.

How is bilateral drainage paid?

When reported bilaterally with modifier 50, CMS pays 150% for the bilateral procedure.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 27603PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,965 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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