CPT code 39220: Mediastinal resection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports surgical removal of a mediastinal tumor, distinct from cyst excision or thoracoscopic removal, with a 90-day global period.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 39220 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 39220 covers
This code represents surgical removal of a tumor in the mediastinum, the central chest compartment between the lungs. Thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital facility. The operative report should identify the tumor’s mediastinal location and describe its removal; a mediastinal cyst is classified separately.
Report the code when the documented procedure removes a mediastinal tumor, rather than sampling it or removing a cyst. The record should support the diagnosis, site, and extent of resection. Medicare includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the major-surgery global period. For other procedures 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
39220 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,337.94 |
How the 39220 rate is calculated
Each of 39220’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 · 39220
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work19.06
19.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.47
8.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.44
4.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
31.9700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,067.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 39220
39220 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 39220
Mediastinal resection
| 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) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 39220
Mediastinal resection
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
39220 without 51 · national facility
$1,067.83
Mediastinal resection
39220-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$533.92
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%).
39220 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 39200Mediastinal cyst
- Choose 39220 for a mediastinal tumor and 39200 for a mediastinal cyst; the documented lesion type distinguishes the services.
- 32662Mediastinal excision
- Code 32662 describes thoracoscopic excision of a mediastinal cyst, tumor, or mass. Code 39220 is the relevant resection code when the service is not reported as thoracoscopic.
- 39401Mediastinoscopy
- Code 39401 covers mediastinoscopy with biopsy for diagnostic tissue sampling. Code 39220 represents surgical removal of a mediastinal tumor.
39220 billing questions
How is this distinguished from 39200?
Use 39220 for removal of a mediastinal tumor. Code 39200 is for removal of a mediastinal cyst.
When would 32662 be reported instead?
Code 32662 describes thoracoscopic removal of a mediastinal cyst, tumor, or mass. Use it when the documented removal is performed thoracoscopically rather than reported under 39220.
Is a diagnostic biopsy reported as 39220?
No. This code represents removal of a mediastinal tumor, not diagnostic sampling alone. Mediastinoscopy with biopsy is described by 39401.
What postoperative care is included?
The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. 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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