CPT code 23105: Shoulder synovectomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Open glenohumeral arthrotomy with synovectomy is reported when a surgeon removes diseased synovial tissue from the shoulder joint through an open approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 23105 in Delaware.
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 23105 covers
The surgeon opens the glenohumeral joint and removes diseased synovial tissue. Orthopedic surgeons typically perform this operation in a hospital operating room for shoulder conditions requiring synovectomy by an open approach. The operative report should identify the joint, describe the synovial tissue removed, and support that the procedure was performed through an open approach rather than arthroscopically.
Report this code when synovectomy is performed, not for an open joint entry done only to obtain a biopsy or explore the joint. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard reduction. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral surgery, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services 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.
23105 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $597.54 |
How the 23105 rate is calculated
Each of 23105’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 · 23105
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.27
8.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.13
8.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.72
1.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.1200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$605.22
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 23105
23105 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 23105
Shoulder synovectomy
| 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 · 23105
Shoulder synovectomy
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
23105 without 50 · national facility
$605.22
Shoulder synovectomy
23105-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$907.83
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).
23105 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 23100Shoulder arthrotomy
- 23100 is the open glenohumeral arthrotomy code when biopsy is performed; 23105 is selected when synovectomy is performed.
- 23107Shoulder arthrotomy
- 23107 describes open glenohumeral exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal, rather than synovectomy as described by 23105.
- 29820Shoulder synovectomy
- 29820 describes partial arthroscopic shoulder synovectomy. Use 23105 for synovectomy through an open approach.
- 29821Shoulder arthroscopy
- 29821 describes complete arthroscopic shoulder synovectomy. Use 23105 when the surgeon performs synovectomy through an open approach.
23105 billing questions
How does this differ from 23100?
Use 23105 when the open glenohumeral procedure includes synovectomy. Code 23100 describes an arthrotomy with biopsy instead.
When would 23107 be a better fit?
23107 is for open glenohumeral exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal. Choose 23105 when synovectomy is the defining service.
Can the arthrotomy be billed separately?
No. The open entry into the glenohumeral joint is part of the synovectomy service represented by 23105.
Does 23105 describe arthroscopic synovectomy?
No. It describes an open approach. Arthroscopic synovectomy is represented by codes such as 29820 or 29821, depending on the extent performed.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral surgery; CMS payment for this code with modifier 50 is 150%.
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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