CPT code 22101: Vertebral excision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Reports partial removal of a thoracic vertebral segment to treat an intrinsic bone lesion, such as vertebral osteomyelitis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 22101 in Alabama.
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 9 sections
What 22101 covers
A spine surgeon reports this service when removing part of a thoracic vertebra to address a lesion arising in the bone, such as osteomyelitis. The procedure is performed in a surgical setting; Medicare recorded facility services for this code in 2024. The code distinguishes a partial removal at the thoracic level from procedures for cervical or lumbar vertebrae and from codes describing excision of a benign vertebral tumor.
Choose the code based on the operative report’s documented spinal level, lesion, and extent of bone removal. Documentation should identify the treated vertebral segment and support that only part of it was removed for the intrinsic lesion. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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.
22101 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Unavailable | $768.98 |
How the 22101 rate is calculated
Each of 22101’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 · 22101
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.80
10.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.75
11.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.43
3.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.9800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$867.76
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 22101
22101 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 22101
Vertebral excision
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 22101
Vertebral excision
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
22101 without 51 · national facility
$867.76
Vertebral excision
22101-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$433.88
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%).
22101 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 22100Vertebral lesion excision
- Use 22100 for the cervical region; 22101 describes the corresponding partial excision at a thoracic vertebral segment.
- 22102Vertebral excision
- Use 22102 for the lumbar region. The lesion and partial-removal concept are similar, but the vertebral region differs.
- 22103Spine lesion excision
- 22103 reports each additional vertebral segment as an add-on; it does not replace 22101 for the first thoracic segment.
- 22112Vertebral excision
- 22112 describes excision of a benign tumor or cyst of a thoracic vertebral body; 22101 is for partial removal to treat an intrinsic bone lesion.
22101 billing questions
How is 22101 different from 22112?
22101 describes partial removal of thoracic vertebral bone for an intrinsic lesion. 22112 is for excision of a benign tumor or cyst of a thoracic vertebral body.
Can 22103 be reported with 22101?
22103 represents each additional vertebral segment and is an add-on to 22101 when the work extends to another segment. Document the additional segment treated.
What documentation supports 22101?
The operative report should identify the thoracic level, the intrinsic bone lesion, and the portion of vertebra removed. It should support treatment of a single segment for this code.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for this service?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; the thoracic vertebral procedure is not reported as a bilateral service.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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
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