Billing code 27496: Thigh fasciotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports surgical release of one thigh or knee compartment to relieve elevated tissue pressure, commonly for acute or impending compartment syndrome.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27496 in Florida.
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 27496 covers
This service is a fasciotomy that releases the fascia around one compartment in the thigh and/or knee to relieve pressure on the enclosed tissues. It is most often performed by an orthopedic or trauma surgeon in an operating room when compartment syndrome requires surgical decompression. The operative report should identify the treated side, the compartment released, and the clinical reason for decompression.
Select this code when one compartment is released; use the applicable sibling code when the surgeon releases more compartments. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes 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 50% reduction. When the procedure is bilateral and reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 27496 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $572.28 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $613.38 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $543.00 |
How the 27496 rate is calculated
Each of 27496’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 · 27496
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.61Practice expense 7.89Malpractice 1.40
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27496
27496 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27496
Thigh fasciotomy
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 27496
Thigh fasciotomy
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
27496 without 50 · national facility
$531.07
Thigh fasciotomy
27496-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$796.61
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).
27496 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27496 vs 27497 vs 27498 vs 27602: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27497Compartment decompression
- 27496 describes release of one compartment; 27497 is for release of two thigh and/or knee compartments.
- 27498Fasciotomy
- Use 27498 when three thigh and/or knee compartments are released, rather than the single compartment represented by 27496.
- 27602Leg decompression
- 27602 describes decompression of lower-leg compartments. Choose by the anatomic site decompressed, not simply by the presence of compartment syndrome.
27496 billing questions
When should 27496 be selected instead of 27497 or 27498?
Use 27496 when the surgeon releases one thigh and/or knee compartment. The sibling codes represent release of two or three compartments.
What operative documentation supports 27496?
Document the indication for decompression, the side treated, and the single compartment released. The operative report should make clear that the service was a fasciotomy for thigh and/or knee decompression.
How is bilateral decompression reported?
For procedures performed on both sides, report modifier 50; CMS pays this code at 150% when reported bilaterally.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 27496?
When other procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for 27496?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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