Billing code 28173: Bone tumor surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Surgical removal of a tumor involving a metatarsal, reported when the operative service targets the tumor in that foot bone.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 28173 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 28173 covers
This code represents surgery to remove a tumor involving a metatarsal, one of the long bones in the foot. An orthopedic or podiatric foot-and-ankle surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting. The operative report should identify the affected metatarsal, describe the tumor and the extent of bone removal, and support that the work addressed a bone tumor rather than a soft-tissue mass or a non-tumor bone condition.
Report the code when the surgeon’s documented service is tumor resection from a metatarsal; distinguish it from tumor resections in a tarsal bone or toe phalanx. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 28173 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $677.69 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $655.53 |
How the 28173 rate is calculated
Each of 28173’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 · 28173
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work13.81
13.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.93
4.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.19
1.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.9300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$665.68
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28173
28173 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28173
Bone tumor surgery
| 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) | 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 · 28173
Bone tumor surgery
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
28173 without 51 · national facility
$665.68
Bone tumor surgery
28173-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$332.84
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%).
28173 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28171Bone tumor resection
- Use 28171 when the tumor involves a tarsal bone; 28173 identifies a metatarsal tumor.
- 28175Bone tumor resection
- Use 28175 for a tumor in a toe phalanx. This code is for tumor resection involving a metatarsal.
- 28140Metatarsal excision
- 28140 represents metatarsal removal, while 28173 is the tumor-specific metatarsal resection code. The operative indication and work performed distinguish them.
28173 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 28171 and 28175?
The bone involved determines the code: 28173 is for a metatarsal tumor, 28171 for a tarsal tumor, and 28175 for a toe-phalanx tumor.
When would 28140 be considered instead?
28140 describes removal of a metatarsal rather than tumor-specific resection. Select based on the documented procedure and indication, not just the bone involved.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral metatarsal tumors?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are payable only with supporting documentation; 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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