Billing code 23044: Joint arthrotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Report open surgical access to an acromioclavicular or sternoclavicular joint for exploration, drainage, or removal of an intra-articular foreign body.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 23044 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 23044 covers
This service involves opening the acromioclavicular joint at the shoulder or the sternoclavicular joint near the base of the neck to inspect the joint, drain it, or remove a foreign body. An orthopedic surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital or other surgical facility. Examples include operative drainage of infection within one of these joints or removal of material lodged inside the joint; the code is specific to these articulations, not the glenohumeral joint or nearby soft tissue.
Select the code when the operative report identifies an arthrotomy of the AC or SC joint and documents the purpose and work performed. Distinguish joint exploration or drainage from drainage of a deep shoulder abscess or infected bursa. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons require 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.
Where 23044 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $558.71 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $527.57 |
How the 23044 rate is calculated
Each of 23044’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 · 23044
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.40
7.40 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.22
7.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.64
1.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.2600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$543.10
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 23044
23044 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 23044
Joint arthrotomy
| 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) | 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 · 23044
Joint arthrotomy
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
23044 without 50 · national facility
$543.10
Joint arthrotomy
23044-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$814.65
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).
23044 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 23040Shoulder arthrotomy
- Choose 23044 for the acromioclavicular or sternoclavicular joint; choose 23040 for the glenohumeral joint.
- 23030Shoulder drainage
- Code 23030 addresses drainage of a deep shoulder or axillary abscess or hematoma. This code requires an arthrotomy of the AC or SC joint.
- 23031Bursa drainage
- Code 23031 is for drainage of an infected bursa. Use this code when the surgeon opens the AC or SC joint for exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal.
- 23035Bone incision
- Code 23035 concerns incision of bone cortex in the shoulder area. This code describes an operation directed at the AC or SC joint.
23044 billing questions
How is this code different from 23040?
This code is for an arthrotomy of the acromioclavicular or sternoclavicular joint. Code 23040 describes the corresponding service at the glenohumeral joint.
Can this code be used for drainage of a shoulder abscess?
Use it when the operative work opens and treats the AC or SC joint. Code 23030 describes drainage of a deep shoulder or axillary abscess or hematoma; code 23031 is for an infected bursa.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document which joint was opened, the indication, and whether the surgeon explored, drained, or removed a foreign body from it. The operative report should distinguish intra-articular work from treatment of adjacent tissue.
How are bilateral procedures reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure. When modifier 50 is used, payment is at 150%.
Does the code include postoperative care?
Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Is an assistant surgeon paid for this procedure?
CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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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