Billing code 20939: Marrow aspirationMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports marrow aspiration, commonly from the iliac crest, for use as graft material during spinal surgery when billed with a qualifying primary procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 20939 in Georgia.
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 20939 covers
During spinal fusion, the surgeon obtains marrow aspirate, commonly from the posterior iliac crest, to combine with graft material and support fusion. The service is performed by the operating spine surgeon in the surgical setting. It represents marrow collection for grafting, not diagnostic marrow aspiration or a code for harvesting structural or morselized bone.
Report 20939 only as an add-on with a qualifying primary spine procedure; it is not reported alone. Documentation should identify the aspiration, its grafting purpose, and the associated spinal procedure, distinguishing it from any separately documented bone harvest. CMS places payment within the primary procedure's global period, so related postoperative care follows that procedure's global period. For bilateral reporting, use modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
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 20939 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $64.05 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $62.30 |
How the 20939 rate is calculated
Each of 20939’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 · 20939
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.13
1.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.37
0.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.34
0.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.8400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$61.46
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20939
The CMS indicators that decide how 20939 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 20939
Marrow aspiration
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
20939 without 50 · national facility
$61.46
Marrow aspiration
20939-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$92.19
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).
20939 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 20936Sp bone agrft local add-on
- 20936 represents local autologous bone graft used in spinal surgery. Use 20939 for marrow aspiration performed for grafting, not for the local bone graft itself.
- 20937Spinal bone graft
- 20937 describes morselized autologous bone graft for spinal surgery. It does not represent the marrow aspiration captured by 20939.
- 20938Spinal bone graft
- 20938 describes structural autologous bone graft for spinal surgery. 20939 instead reports marrow aspiration for grafting.
- 20930Sp bone algrft morsel add-on
- 20930 represents morselized allograft used in spinal surgery. 20939 reports marrow aspiration, not the allograft material.
20939 billing questions
Can 20939 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on for marrow aspiration used in spinal grafting and must be reported with a qualifying primary spine procedure.
What documentation supports reporting 20939?
Document the marrow aspiration, its use for grafting, and the associated spinal procedure. Clarify separately performed bone harvesting when applicable.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral service at 150%.
Is 20939 the code for harvesting bone graft?
No. It represents marrow aspiration for grafting; codes such as 20936, 20937, and 20938 describe different autologous bone graft services.
How does the global period affect 20939?
CMS pays it within the primary procedure's global period. Related postoperative care follows that primary procedure's global period.
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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