$87.59–$92.59
Choose 20974 for noninvasive electrical stimulation to support bone healing; 20979 is the low-intensity ultrasound modality.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
20979 Bone stimulation Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports externally delivered low-intensity ultrasound treatment intended to support bone healing, such as in a fracture with delayed healing or nonunion. Compare 20979 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 20979 in Maine?
Maine 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
$51.30–$53.62
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$25.18–$25.49
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 procedure
About 20979: Noninvasive ultrasound bone stimulation
Reports externally delivered low-intensity ultrasound treatment intended to support bone healing, such as in a fracture with delayed healing or nonunion.
This service uses a treatment transducer placed on the skin over a fracture to deliver low-intensity ultrasound intended to support bone healing. It is used in orthopedic care for situations such as delayed fracture healing or nonunion; the treatment is noninvasive and does not involve surgically placing a stimulator. The clinical record should identify the fracture site and healing problem and show that the ultrasound treatment was performed.
Report 20979 for the ultrasound bone-stimulation service, not for electrical stimulation or a procedure that surgically addresses the bone. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 20979
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.60 · 37%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.97 · 59%
- Malpractice RVU0.07 · 4%
70
Medicare services in 2024 · #5138 by national volume
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.
20979 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
20975 describes invasive electrical stimulation. 20979 describes ultrasound treatment delivered noninvasively through the skin.
Compare 20979 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
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$51.30
Facility
$25.18
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$53.62
Facility
$25.49
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20979 billing questions
How does 20979 differ from 20974?
20979 is for low-intensity ultrasound bone stimulation. 20974 describes noninvasive electrical stimulation for bone healing.
How does 20979 differ from 20975?
20979 uses low-intensity ultrasound delivered through the skin. 20975 describes invasive electrical stimulation for bone healing.
What documentation supports 20979?
Document the fracture site, the delayed healing or nonunion being treated, and that low-intensity ultrasound treatment was performed.
Should modifier 50 be reported for treatment on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not append modifier 50.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed with 20979?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are 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 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.
1,82820973,,Bone/skin graft great toe,A,,46.09,24.00,NA,24.00,,9.86,79.95,79.95,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,82920974,,Estim aid bone healg n-invas,A,,0.60,2.09,,0.76,,0.16,2.85,1.52,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83020975,,Estim aid bone healg invasiv,A,,2.54,1.76,NA,1.76,,0.75,5.05,5.05,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83120979,,Lw ntsty us stimj bone healg,A,,0.60,0.97,,0.12,,0.07,1.64,0.79,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83220982,,Ablate bone tumor(s) perq,A,,6.84,96.34,,1.71,,1.08,104.26,9.63,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83320983,,Ablate bone tumor(s) perq,A,,6.71,139.34,,1.52,,0.83,146.88,9.06,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83420985,,Cptr-asst dir ms px,A,,2.44,0.77,NA,0.77,,0.50,3.71,3.71,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00