Billing code 27412: Cartilage implantationMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports implantation of a patient’s cultured cartilage cells to treat a focal knee articular-cartilage defect, including the cartilage harvest and implantation stages.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27412 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 27412 covers
This procedure treats a focal articular-cartilage defect by implanting cartilage cells taken from the same patient and expanded in culture. An orthopedic surgeon harvests cartilage for the cell preparation, then performs the implantation at a later stage, commonly through an arthrotomy. The treatment is directed at a localized cartilage lesion rather than generalized knee arthritis or a loose cartilage fragment.
Report the code for the autologous cell implantation service; cartilage harvest and the arthrotomy needed for implantation are included, not separately coded as independent procedures. The operative record should establish the focal defect, the autologous cell technique, and the implantation performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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.
27412 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,854.22 |
How the 27412 rate is calculated
Each of 27412’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 · 27412
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work24.12
24.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.50
15.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.13
5.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
44.7500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,494.69
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27412
27412 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27412
Cartilage implantation
| 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) | 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 · 27412
Cartilage implantation
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
27412 without 50 · national facility
$1,494.69
Cartilage implantation
27412-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$2,242.04
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).
27412 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27415Knee allograft
- Choose this code for cultured cells from the patient. Code 27415 describes treatment using donor osteochondral tissue.
- 27416Knee cartilage graft
- Code 27416 transfers osteochondral tissue harvested from the patient; this code implants cultured cartilage cells rather than a cartilage-and-bone plug.
- 27403Meniscus repair
- Code 27403 describes a knee cartilage repair procedure. This code is for implantation of autologous cultured chondrocytes to treat a focal cartilage defect.
27412 billing questions
How is this different from an osteochondral graft?
This procedure implants the patient’s cultured cartilage cells. Osteochondral graft procedures transfer a piece of cartilage with underlying bone, using donor tissue or tissue harvested from the patient.
Can the cartilage harvest be billed separately?
No. The harvest for the cell preparation is included in this implantation service, as is the arthrotomy needed to implant the cells.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the focal articular-cartilage defect, the autologous cell technique, the implantation, and the operative details. The record should also support the cartilage harvest associated with the cell preparation.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. Unrelated services or separately identifiable procedures require their own documentation and coding.
How are bilateral procedures and multiple procedures handled?
CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. For multiple procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
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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