Billing code 21010: Jaw joint surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports open surgical entry into the temporomandibular joint for direct access to joint pathology, rather than needle-based aspiration or manipulation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 21010 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 21010 covers
billing code 21010 describes surgically opening the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to access the joint directly. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons and other surgeons with appropriate training may perform it in an operating room, commonly for a joint problem that requires open evaluation or treatment. The code represents the joint incision, not removal of the mandibular condyle or joint cartilage; those procedures have distinct codes when performed and supported by the operative work.
Report 21010 when the operative note supports an open incision into the TMJ, identifying the side, indication, and work performed. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple 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. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
21010 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $845.97 |
How the 21010 rate is calculated
Each of 21010’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 · 21010
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.76Practice expense 7.82Malpractice 1.56
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 21010
21010 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 21010
Jaw joint surgery
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 21010
Jaw joint surgery
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
21010 without 50 · national facility
$672.69
Jaw joint surgery
21010-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,009.04
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).
21010 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
21010 vs 20605 vs 21060 vs 21050 vs 21073: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 20605Joint procedure
- 20605 describes needle-based aspiration or injection of an intermediate joint. 21010 requires an open surgical incision into the TMJ.
- 21060TMJ meniscectomy
- 21060 describes removal of TMJ cartilage. Choose 21010 when the documented service is opening the joint without that removal procedure.
- 21050Condylectomy
- 21050 describes removal of the mandibular condyle at the TMJ. 21010 describes open joint entry, not condylar removal.
- 21073TMJ manipulation
- 21073 is therapeutic manipulation of the TMJ under anesthesia. It does not describe open surgical entry into the joint.
21010 billing questions
When should 21010 be chosen instead of TMJ arthrocentesis?
Use 21010 for open surgical entry into the joint. Needle-based aspiration or injection is a different service and is not an arthrotomy.
Does 21010 include removal of the joint disc or mandibular condyle?
No. The code describes opening the TMJ; removal of joint cartilage or the condyle is a distinct operative service with its own code when performed.
How should bilateral TMJ arthrotomy be reported?
Report the bilateral procedure with modifier 50. CMS pays it at 150% under the supplied bilateral rule.
What postoperative care is included in 21010?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported with 21010?
An assistant at surgery is paid only when the record documents medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS facts for this code.
What documentation supports reporting 21010?
Document the TMJ side, the clinical indication, the open incision into the joint, and the operative findings and work performed. The note should distinguish the procedure from needle-based treatment or a separate removal procedure.
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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