This is the removal code for cases within 25250’s scope. Code 25251 is the related option when the documented removal is complicated.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
25250 Wrist surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Georgia
Reports surgical removal of an implanted wrist prosthesis, such as during treatment of a failed implant or as part of a wrist salvage procedure. Compare 25250 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Georgia.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 25250 in Georgia?
Georgia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$496.06–$527.71
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Orthopedic surgery
About 25250: Wrist prosthesis removal
Reports surgical removal of an implanted wrist prosthesis, such as during treatment of a failed implant or as part of a wrist salvage procedure.
A surgeon removes an implanted prosthesis from the wrist. The procedure may be performed for a failed or painful implant, infection, or when converting the wrist to another surgical treatment. It is distinct from excising carpal bone without removing a prosthesis. The operative report should identify the wrist and document that the implant was removed; the reason for removal and any additional work should also be clear. Orthopedic or hand surgeons typically perform this procedure in an operating room.
Report 25250 when the documented removal fits this code rather than the complicated removal code 25251. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. If 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. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 25250
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.60 · 43%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.38 · 48%
- Malpractice RVU1.40 · 9%
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.
25250 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Georgia, from the same CMS release.
25210 describes removal of one carpal bone, not extraction of an implanted wrist prosthesis.
25215 describes removal of carpal bones; use 25250 when the operative service removes a wrist prosthesis.
Compare 25250 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Atlanta →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$527.71
Rest Of Georgia →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$496.06
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25250 billing questions
How do I choose between 25250 and 25251?
Use 25250 for removal that meets this code’s scope. Use 25251 when the operative circumstances meet the complicated-removal code; support that distinction in the operative report.
Can I report 25250 when the surgeon removes carpal bone but leaves the prosthesis?
No. This code describes removal of the wrist prosthesis. A carpectomy code may be appropriate when the documented procedure is removal of carpal bone instead.
What documentation supports 25250?
Document the wrist treated, the presence and removal of the prosthesis, the indication, and any additional procedures performed during the operation.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is bilateral removal handled?
For removal performed on both wrists, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule supplied for this code.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
