$248.05
Both codes address subcutaneous foreign-body removal; 10120 is for a straightforward extraction, while 10121 represents a complicated removal.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
10120 Foreign body removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Report 10120 when a clinician makes a straightforward incision to remove a retained foreign object from subcutaneous tissue, such as a splinter. Compare 10120 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 10120 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$141.18
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$92.95
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Minor surgery
About 10120: Simple subcutaneous foreign body removal
Report 10120 when a clinician makes a straightforward incision to remove a retained foreign object from subcutaneous tissue, such as a splinter.
Code 10120 describes a straightforward incision and extraction of a retained object in the tissue just beneath the skin, such as a splinter that cannot be removed from the surface. Physicians and other qualified practitioners commonly perform the procedure in an office or outpatient setting, after locating the object and preparing the site. The code is for subcutaneous tissue; a foreign body in a deeper structure or a more complex removal may call for another code.
Select 10120 when the documented service supports a simple extraction, rather than the more complicated service represented by 10121. The record should identify the object and site, show its subcutaneous location, and describe the incision and removal. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 10120
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.19 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.38 · 72%
- Malpractice RVU0.14 · 3%
34.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #921 by national volume
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.
10120 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
$206.01
Use 20520 when the foreign body is in muscle or a tendon sheath, rather than in subcutaneous tissue.
$215.56
Use 28190 for subcutaneous foreign-body removal in the foot; 10120 is the general code for a simple subcutaneous extraction.
Compare 10120 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
$141.18
Facility
$92.95
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 10120 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,104
- Code
- 10120
- Physician work
- 1.19
- Practice expense
- 3.38
- Malpractice
- 0.14
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.19 | × 1.000 | 1.1900 |
| Practice expense | 3.38 | × 0.875 | 2.9575 |
| Malpractice | 0.14 | × 0.566 | 0.0792 |
| Total RVUs | 4.2267 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$141.18
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.19 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.38 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.14 | 0.566 |
(1.19 × 1 + 3.38 × 0.875 + 0.14 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $141.18
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.19 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.73 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.14 | 0.566 |
(1.19 × 1 + 1.73 × 0.875 + 0.14 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $92.95
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
10120 billing questions
How do I choose between 10120 and 10121?
Use 10120 for a straightforward subcutaneous extraction. Use 10121 when the documented removal is complicated.
Does 10120 include related follow-up visits?
Yes. CMS assigns a 10-day global period that includes related postoperative visits during those 10 days.
Can I report modifier 50 for foreign bodies on both sides?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make a bilateral adjustment with modifier 50 inappropriate.
How does CMS reduce payment when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be reported for 10120?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 10120?
Document the foreign body's site and subcutaneous location, along with the incision and straightforward extraction 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,1011010T,TC,Cptr oph alys monoc eye mvmt,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,7,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,1021011F,,Angina present,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,1031011T,,Pbm therapy of oral cavity,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,10410120,,Inc&rmvl fb subq tiss smpl,A,,1.19,3.38,,1.73,,0.14,4.71,3.06,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,10510121,,Inc&rmvl fb subq tiss comp,A,,2.67,5.19,,2.09,,0.38,8.24,5.14,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,1061012F,,Angina absent,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,1071012T,,Mtrz ab ntrno trph scl/tr mw,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515