$652.28
Choose 20670 for superficial hardware such as an accessible buried wire or pin. Choose 20680 when removal involves a deep implant and deeper dissection.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
20670 Implant removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Reports removal of accessible superficial orthopedic hardware, such as a buried wire or pin, when a clinician removes the implant from its site. Compare 20670 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Colorado.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 20670 in Colorado?
Colorado has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$388.53
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$143.31
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Orthopedic surgery
About 20670: Superficial orthopedic implant removal
Reports removal of accessible superficial orthopedic hardware, such as a buried wire or pin, when a clinician removes the implant from its site.
This service covers removal of orthopedic hardware located superficially, such as a buried wire, pin, or screw that can be reached without the deeper dissection required for deep implants. An orthopedist or another clinician performing musculoskeletal procedures may remove it in an office procedure room, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital operating room, depending on the implant’s location and the work needed. The key distinction from deep-implant removal is the documented depth and surgical exposure, not simply the type of hardware.
Report the service for the superficial implant removal itself, and document the implant, anatomic site, and depth supporting the superficial classification. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 20670
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.75 · 16%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.07 · 82%
- Malpractice RVU0.27 · 2%
6.2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1737 by national volume
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.
20670 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
$258.03
20650 concerns wire or pin placement for skeletal traction, with removal included when performed. 20670 is for removal of a superficial implant as a removal service.
$122.10
20665 is for removal of tongs or a halo. Use 20670 for superficial orthopedic implants outside that dedicated removal service.
Compare 20670 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Colorado →
Office / nonfacility
$388.53
Facility
$143.31
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 20670 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,782
- Code
- 20670
- Physician work
- 1.75
- Practice expense
- 9.07
- Malpractice
- 0.27
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.75 | × 1.012 | 1.7710 |
| Practice expense | 9.07 | × 1.064 | 9.6505 |
| Malpractice | 0.27 | × 0.781 | 0.2109 |
| Total RVUs | 11.6323 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Colorado$388.53
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.75 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 9.07 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.27 | 0.781 |
(1.75 × 1.012 + 9.07 × 1.064 + 0.27 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $388.53
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.75 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 2.17 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.27 | 0.781 |
(1.75 × 1.012 + 2.17 × 1.064 + 0.27 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $143.31
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
20670 billing questions
How is superficial removal distinguished from deep implant removal?
Use the documented implant depth and the exposure required. This code describes accessible superficial hardware; removal requiring deeper dissection is considered with 20680.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in this service.
Should modifier 50 be used for removal on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,77920663,,Application halo femoral,A,,5.60,7.11,NA,7.11,,1.21,13.92,13.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78020664,,Appl halo cranial 6+pins,A,,9.81,14.26,NA,14.26,,4.13,28.20,28.20,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78120665,,Rmvl tongs/halo anthr indiv,A,,1.33,2.09,,1.13,,0.11,3.53,2.57,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78220670,,Removal implant superficial,A,,1.75,9.07,,2.17,,0.27,11.09,4.19,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78320680,,Removal of implant deep,A,,5.81,12.05,,4.94,,1.06,18.92,11.81,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78420690,,Appl unipln uni ext fixj sys,A,,8.56,6.05,NA,6.05,,1.73,16.34,16.34,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,78520692,,Appl mltpln uni ext fixj sys,A,,15.86,12.56,NA,12.56,,2.93,31.35,31.35,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3401112,CA,69,VISALIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899