CPT code 60500: Parathyroid surgery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report cervical exploration or removal of parathyroid tissue, commonly to locate and treat abnormal glands in patients with hyperparathyroidism.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60500 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 60500 covers
A surgeon explores the parathyroid glands through a cervical approach to locate abnormal tissue and may remove one or more glands. This operation is commonly performed for primary hyperparathyroidism caused by an adenoma or gland hyperplasia; it may also address other documented parathyroid disease. General, endocrine, and head-and-neck surgeons typically perform it in a hospital operating room. The code covers cervical exploration, including access to mediastinal glands through that approach; a sternotomy or transthoracic approach for mediastinal exploration is distinguished from this service.
Report the operation when the surgeon performs the cervical exploration or parathyroid removal, whether or not an abnormal gland is ultimately found. The operative report should support the indication, approach, extent of exploration, and any tissue removed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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.
60500 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,112.21 |
How the 60500 rate is calculated
Each of 60500’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 · 60500
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work15.21
15.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.09
8.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.39
3.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
26.6900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$891.47
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60500
60500 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60500
Parathyroid 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) | 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60500
Parathyroid 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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
60500 without 51 · national facility
$891.47
Parathyroid surgery
60500-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$445.74
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%).
60500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 60502Parathyroid exploration
- 60500 describes cervical exploration that is not a re-exploration. 60502 is the corresponding code when the surgeon re-explores the parathyroid region.
- 60505Parathyroid exploration
- 60500 applies to cervical access, including mediastinal glands reached through the neck. 60505 is for mediastinal exploration through a sternal split or transthoracic approach.
- 60512Parathyroid transplant
- 60500 represents the cervical exploration or removal. 60512 represents parathyroid tissue autotransplantation performed as an additional service.
60500 billing questions
When should 60500 be chosen over 60502?
Use 60500 for a cervical exploration or removal that is not a re-exploration. 60502 identifies a repeat exploration of the parathyroid region.
How is 60500 distinguished from 60505?
60500 describes the cervical approach, including mediastinal glands reached through that approach. Use 60505 when mediastinal exploration requires a sternal split or transthoracic approach.
Can parathyroid autotransplantation be reported with 60500?
When parathyroid tissue is autotransplanted during the operation, 60512 may be reported in addition to the primary procedure when supported by the operative documentation.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral gland exploration?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 60500; report the documented cervical procedure without modifier 50.
What operative details support 60500?
Document the clinical indication, cervical approach, glands or areas explored, and whether abnormal tissue was removed. The note should also make clear whether the operation was an initial exploration or a re-exploration.
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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