Billing code 20924: Tendon graft harvestMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports harvest of tendon from a separate donor site for grafting, such as palmaris longus, plantaris, or toe extensor tendon used in reconstruction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 20924 in Alaska.
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 20924 covers
This code reports removal of a tendon intended for use as a graft, with the donor site separate from the site being reconstructed. Examples include harvesting palmaris longus, plantaris, or toe extensor tendon for a reconstructive procedure. Orthopedic, hand, and reconstructive surgeons typically perform the harvest in an operating room, often through an incision at the donor site distinct from the operative site where the graft will be used.
Report the harvest when the operative record identifies the tendon and donor location and documents its removal for graft use. The code describes procurement, not placement of the graft or reconstruction at the recipient site. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. 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.
20924 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $573.97 |
How the 20924 rate is calculated
Each of 20924’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 · 20924
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.51Practice expense 6.33Malpractice 1.23
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20924
20924 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 20924
Tendon graft harvest
| 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 · 20924
Tendon graft harvest
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
20924 without 51 · national facility
$469.95
Tendon graft harvest
20924-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$234.98
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%).
20924 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
20924 vs 20920 vs 20910 vs 20900: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 20920Fascia graft
- 20920 reports fascia graft procurement. Choose 20924 when tendon is harvested for the graft.
- 20910Cartilage harvest
- 20910 describes cartilage graft harvest. The tissue removed, not simply the fact that it will be used as a graft, distinguishes it from 20924.
- 20900Bone graft harvest
- 20900 describes bone graft harvest. Use 20924 for tendon procurement from a donor site.
20924 billing questions
When should 20924 be chosen instead of a fascia or bone graft harvest code?
Use 20924 when the harvested graft material is tendon. Codes such as 20920 or 20900 describe harvest of different tissues, not tendon.
Does 20924 describe graft placement or the reconstruction?
No. It reports tendon procurement from the donor site; the recipient-site reconstruction is described by its own procedure code.
What should the operative note document?
Document the tendon harvested, its donor-site location, and that it was removed for graft use. The record should distinguish the harvest from work at the reconstruction site.
How is 20924 affected when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
What payment rules apply to assistants and co-surgeons?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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