CPT code 25028: Collection drainage2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports operative drainage of a deep forearm or wrist abscess or evacuation of a deep hematoma when incision is required.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25028 in Illinois.
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 25028 covers
The surgeon opens the deep soft tissues of the forearm or wrist to drain an abscess or evacuate a hematoma. This is used for a collection that requires operative access, rather than a superficial skin-level infection or a collection limited to a bursa, tendon sheath, or bone. Orthopedic, hand, and other surgeons may perform the procedure in an operating room or another surgical setting.
Choose the code based on the collection’s location and depth, and document the affected forearm or wrist, the diagnosis, and the operative work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 25028 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $737.95 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $686.17 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $666.71 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $729.75 |
How the 25028 rate is calculated
Each of 25028’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 · 25028
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.26
5.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.27
14.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.07
1.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.6000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$688.06
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25028
25028 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25028
Collection drainage
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 25028
Collection drainage
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
25028 without 50 · national facility
$688.06
Collection drainage
25028-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,032.09
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).
25028 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25031Bursal drainage
- Use 25031 when the collection is in a forearm or wrist bursa; 25028 addresses a deep abscess or hematoma in the forearm or wrist.
- 25020Forearm fasciotomy
- Code 25020 describes decompression of one forearm compartment. Choose 25028 when the operative objective is drainage of a deep abscess or evacuation of a hematoma.
- 25035Bone incision
- Code 25035 is directed at forearm or wrist bone cortex. Code 25028 is for a deep soft-tissue abscess or hematoma.
25028 billing questions
How is this different from drainage of a forearm or wrist bursa?
Use 25028 for a deep soft-tissue abscess or hematoma. Code 25031 is for a collection involving a forearm or wrist bursa.
Does this code include evacuation of the hematoma?
Yes. Evacuating a deep hematoma is one of the conditions covered by this procedure; document its location, depth, and the operative work.
How should bilateral procedures be reported?
CMS lists this as a bilateral procedure payable at 150% when reported with modifier 50.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?
CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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