Billing code 24920: Upper-arm amputationMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports surgical removal of the upper arm through the humerus with primary closure, typically for a non-salvageable limb or upper-arm malignancy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 24920 in Guam.
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 24920 covers
The surgeon removes the upper arm through the humerus and closes the residual limb during the same operation. This approach may be used when trauma, extensive infection, severe loss of blood supply, or malignancy makes the limb unsalvageable. The operation is generally performed in a hospital operating room by an orthopedic or other qualified surgeon; the closure distinguishes it from a guillotine amputation left open.
Select this code when the operative report supports upper-arm amputation with primary closure, rather than an open guillotine procedure or a later closure or revision. Documentation should identify the amputation level and describe the removal and closure performed. 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 procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 bilateral reporting is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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.
24920 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $696.83 |
How the 24920 rate is calculated
Each of 24920’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 · 24920
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.88Practice expense 8.59Malpractice 2.10
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 24920
24920 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 24920
Upper-arm amputation
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 24920
Upper-arm amputation
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
24920 without 50 · national facility
$687.06
Upper-arm amputation
24920-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,030.59
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).
24920 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
24920 vs 24900 vs 24925 vs 24931 vs 24935: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 24900Upper arm amputation
- Choose 24920 when the upper-arm stump is closed during the amputation. Choose 24900 for a circular guillotine procedure left open.
- 24925Arm amputation
- 24920 describes the initial amputation with primary closure. 24925 is for subsequent closure or scar work, not closure performed during the original amputation.
- 24931Upper-arm amputation
- Use 24931 when the upper-arm amputation includes immediate prosthetic fitting. This code describes primary closure without that prosthetic-fitting feature.
- 24935Amputation revision
- 24920 is the amputation with primary closure; 24935 is used for revision of an existing amputation.
24920 billing questions
How does this differ from 24900?
24920 is for an upper-arm amputation with primary closure. 24900 describes a circular, or guillotine, amputation, which is left open rather than closed at the initial operation.
Can a later stump closure be reported with this code?
This code represents primary closure during the amputation operation. A later closure or scar procedure is a separate service and should be evaluated under the code that describes that later work.
What documentation supports 24920?
The operative report should establish the upper-arm level through the humerus and describe primary closure of the residual limb during the procedure.
How is bilateral amputation reported?
For bilateral procedures, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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