Billing code 39541: Diaphragm repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Repair a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia through a thoracic approach, typically when abdominal contents have displaced into the chest after injury.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 39541 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 39541 covers
This service repairs a traumatic opening in the diaphragm through the chest. The surgeon returns displaced abdominal contents to the abdomen and closes or reconstructs the defect as needed. It is typically performed by a thoracic or general surgeon in an operating room, often during treatment of blunt or penetrating chest or abdominal trauma. The thoracic approach distinguishes this service from the abdominal approach used for the related repair code.
Report the code when the operative record supports repair of a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia by the thoracic route; document the injury, hernia, approach, and repair performed. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. 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.
39541 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $874.36 |
How the 39541 rate is calculated
Each of 39541’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 · 39541
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 15.36Practice expense 7.25Malpractice 3.98
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 39541
39541 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 39541
Diaphragm repair
| 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 · 39541
Diaphragm repair
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
39541 without 51 · national facility
$888.13
Diaphragm repair
39541-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$444.07
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%).
39541 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
39541 vs 39540 vs 39503 vs 39501: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 39540Diaphragm hernia repair
- The key distinction is the operative route: 39541 is the thoracic approach, while 39540 is the abdominal approach for traumatic diaphragmatic hernia repair.
- 39503Diaphragm hernia repair
- 39503 is for congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair in a neonatal patient; 39541 describes traumatic hernia repair through a thoracic approach.
- 39501Diaphragm repair
- 39501 addresses repair of a traumatic diaphragm laceration. Use 39541 when the condition being repaired is a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia.
39541 billing questions
How is 39541 distinguished from 39540?
Both describe repair of a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a non-neonatal patient. Select 39541 for the thoracic approach and 39540 for the abdominal approach.
What operative documentation supports 39541?
Document the traumatic hernia, the thoracic route, and the repair performed. The operative report should make the approach clear enough to distinguish it from an abdominal repair.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
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.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect same-session services?
When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 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 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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