Billing code 60252: ThyroidectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports total or subtotal thyroid removal for malignancy when the surgeon also performs a limited dissection of regional neck lymph nodes.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60252 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 60252 covers
This operation removes all or most of the thyroid for malignancy and includes a limited neck dissection. It is typically performed by an endocrine or head and neck surgeon in an operating room when thyroid cancer treatment calls for removal of the gland along with a limited group of regional neck nodes. The extent of thyroid removal and nodal surgery distinguishes this service from thyroidectomy without neck dissection or more extensive neck surgery.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports malignancy, total or subtotal thyroid removal, and the limited neck dissection performed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
60252 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,162.42 |
How the 60252 rate is calculated
Each of 60252’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 · 60252
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.46Practice expense 9.56Malpractice 4.27
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60252
60252 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60252
Thyroidectomy
| 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) | 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60252
Thyroidectomy
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
60252 without 51 · national facility
$1,178.72
Thyroidectomy
60252-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$589.36
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%).
60252 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
60252 vs 60240 vs 60254 vs 60260: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 60240Thyroidectomy
- Use 60252 when the malignancy thyroidectomy includes a limited neck dissection. Use 60240 for total or complete thyroidectomy without that dissection.
- 60254Thyroidectomy
- The distinction is the extent of neck dissection: 60252 represents limited dissection, while 60254 represents more extensive neck surgery.
- 60260Thyroidectomy
- 60260 addresses removal of remaining thyroid tissue after an earlier partial removal; 60252 describes malignancy surgery with limited neck dissection.
60252 billing questions
When should this code be chosen over 60240?
Use 60252 when the thyroidectomy is for malignancy and includes a limited neck dissection. Use 60240 for total or complete thyroidectomy without that limited dissection.
How does this differ from 60254?
60252 describes malignancy thyroidectomy with limited neck dissection; 60254 is used when the neck dissection is more extensive.
Should modifier 50 be reported?
No. The anatomy and service represented by this code make modifier 50 inappropriate.
What documentation supports reporting 60252?
The operative report should establish malignancy, whether total or subtotal thyroid removal was performed, and the limited neck dissection and nodal extent.
How are other same-session procedures and surgical assistance handled?
Under the multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons need 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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