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Billing code 60502: Parathyroid explorationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a return operation to explore previously operated parathyroid anatomy, typically for persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism after earlier neck surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,202.77 for 60502 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 60502

Parathyroid exploration

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
20.62
Total RVUs
36.01
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,202.77

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 60502 → · 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 60502 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 60502 covers

An endocrine or head-and-neck surgeon re-enters a previously operated neck to locate and assess parathyroid tissue in a scarred operative field. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room when hyperparathyroidism persists or returns after prior parathyroid surgery. The operative work may involve identifying residual or ectopic parathyroid tissue and treating the source found during the re-exploration.

Choose this code when the current operation is a re-exploration, rather than an initial exploration of the parathyroid glands. The operative report should establish the prior parathyroid operation, the reason for returning to the neck, the exploration performed, and the findings and treatment. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 60502 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

60502 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,088.25
Alaska*Unavailable$1,496.93
ArizonaUnavailable$1,168.45
ArkansasUnavailable$1,074.33
AtlantaUnavailable$1,243.15
AustinUnavailable$1,205.98
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,185.98
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,277.99
BeaumontUnavailable$1,159.59
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,169.33

60502 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
60502 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 60502 rate is calculated

Each of 60502’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 · 60502

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 20.62Practice expense 10.52Malpractice 4.87

36.0100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,202.77

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 60502

60502 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 60502

Parathyroid exploration

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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)0.09/0.82/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 60502

Parathyroid exploration

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

60502 without 51 · national facility

$1,202.77

Parathyroid exploration

60502-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$601.39

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

60502 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

60502 vs 60500 vs 60505 vs 60512: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 60502
    Parathyroid exploration · 20.62 wRVU
    —
  • 60500
    Parathyroid surgery · 15.21 wRVU
    —
  • 60505
    Parathyroid exploration · 22.48 wRVU
    —
  • 60512
    Parathyroid transplant · 4.33 wRVU
    —

How to choose

60500Parathyroid surgery
60500 is for initial parathyroid exploration. Choose 60502 when the operation re-enters previously operated parathyroid anatomy.
60505Parathyroid exploration
60505 describes parathyroid exploration that includes mediastinal exploration by a specified approach; 60502 identifies re-exploration.
60512Parathyroid transplant
60512 reports parathyroid autotransplantation, which may accompany exploration; it does not replace the re-exploration code.

Codes related to 60502

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

Codes related to 60502
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
60500Parathyroid surgeryInitial parathyroid exploration; use when the current operation is not a re-exploration.No office rate
60505Parathyroid explorationParathyroid exploration involving a mediastinal approach, rather than routine neck re-exploration.No office rate
Add-on codes
60512Parathyroid transplantParathyroid autotransplantation may be reported as an add-on with this exploration.No office rate

60502 billing questions

When should 60502 be chosen instead of 60500?

Use 60502 for a return exploration after prior parathyroid surgery. Code 60500 describes an initial exploration, not a re-exploration.

Can modifier 50 be reported?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code because of its descriptor or anatomy.

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

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures subject to the multiple procedure reduction are paid at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What documentation supports reporting a re-exploration?

Document the earlier parathyroid operation, the clinical reason for returning to the neck, and the re-exploration and treatment 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 60502PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,715 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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