Billing code 24066: Soft-tissue biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report this service when a surgeon obtains a biopsy from deep soft tissue in the upper arm or elbow area to diagnose a lesion or mass.
Medicare pays $786.25 for 24066 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 24066 covers
A surgeon obtains tissue from a deep soft-tissue lesion in the upper arm or around the elbow for diagnostic evaluation. This is appropriate when the target lies beneath superficial tissues and sampling, rather than complete tumor removal, is the operative objective. Orthopedic surgeons, including orthopedic oncologists, commonly perform the procedure in a hospital or ambulatory surgery setting when the lesion requires operative access.
Report 24066 for a deep biopsy; distinguish it from the superficial biopsy in 24065. The operative report should identify the arm or elbow site, describe the target’s depth and the tissue sampled, and make clear that the service was a biopsy rather than excision. Medicare assigns 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 at 50%. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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.
24066 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $786.25 | $498.11 |
How the 24066 rate is calculated
Each of 24066’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 · 24066
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.22
5.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.13
14.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.20
1.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.5500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$686.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 24066
24066 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 24066
Soft-tissue biopsy
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 24066
Soft-tissue biopsy
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
24066 without 50 · national office
$686.39
Soft-tissue biopsy
24066-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,029.59
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).
24066 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 24065Soft-tissue biopsy
- Both codes describe arm or elbow soft-tissue biopsy; 24066 is for deep tissue, while 24065 is for superficial tissue.
- 24076Tumor excision
- 24066 reports diagnostic sampling of deep soft tissue. 24076 describes excision of a deep arm or elbow tumor smaller than 5 cm.
- 24073Tumor excision
- Use 24073 for excision of a deep arm or elbow tumor 5 cm or larger; use 24066 when the operative service is a biopsy.
- 24075Soft-tissue excision
- 24075 is for excision of a small superficial lesion in the arm or elbow area, not biopsy of deep soft tissue.
24066 billing questions
How do I choose between 24066 and 24065?
Use 24066 for a biopsy of deep soft tissue in the upper arm or elbow area. Use 24065 when the biopsied tissue is superficial.
When should the surgeon report an excision code instead?
Choose an excision code when the operative objective is removal of a lesion or tumor, rather than obtaining tissue for diagnosis. The relevant code depends on the tissue depth, size, and extent of removal.
Is the pathology examination included in 24066?
24066 describes the surgeon’s tissue acquisition. A pathology examination is a distinct service when separately performed and reported.
What documentation supports reporting 24066?
Document the upper-arm or elbow site, the target’s deep location, the tissue obtained, and the diagnostic biopsy intent. The operative note should distinguish sampling from removal of the lesion.
How does Medicare handle bilateral reporting and multiple procedures?
For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this code. Medicare does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.
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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