No office rate
Both entries involve ankle-joint surgery. Compare the complete code descriptors and operative report to identify the specific procedure performed rather than relying on the short descriptor.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27610 Ankle arthrotomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Report this open ankle-joint procedure for operative exploration, drainage, or removal of a foreign body from the joint. Compare 27610 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Massachusetts.
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 27610 in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$616.85–$665.69
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 surgery
About 27610: Ankle joint arthrotomy with exploration
Report this open ankle-joint procedure for operative exploration, drainage, or removal of a foreign body from the joint.
The surgeon opens the ankle joint to inspect it, drain it, or remove a foreign body. This is an open operative procedure, not an office aspiration or an arthroscopic service. Orthopedic surgeons commonly perform it in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center when the joint requires direct surgical access, such as for operative drainage or retrieval of material lodged within the joint.
Choose the code from the documented joint procedure and work performed; the operative report should identify the ankle joint, the reason for opening it, and any drainage or foreign-body removal. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When multiple procedures are performed 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 reporting with modifier 50, payment is at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27610
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- 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 RVU8.90 · 49%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.71 · 42%
- Malpractice RVU1.64 · 9%
592
Medicare services in 2024 · #3404 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.
27610 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code represents ankle-joint surgery that includes removal of joint lining. Use 27610 when the documented work is exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal instead.
No office rate
This is an ankle-joint lining procedure distinguished by extent. Code 27610 describes exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal, not joint-lining removal.
Compare 27610 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
Metropolitan Boston →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$665.69
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$616.85
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27610 billing questions
How is this different from an ankle arthroscopy?
This code describes open access to the ankle joint. Do not use it for work performed solely through an arthroscope.
Can I report an office ankle aspiration separately?
This code represents an operative joint-opening procedure, not an aspiration. The operative report should support the open surgical work rather than a needle-based service.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the ankle joint as the operative site, why it was opened, and whether the surgeon explored, drained, or removed a foreign body.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How is bilateral ankle surgery paid?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays at 150%.
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.
2,96727605,,Incision of achilles tendon,A,,2.85,6.96,,2.06,,0.28,10.09,5.19,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96827606,,Incision of achilles tendon,A,,4.08,2.90,NA,2.90,,0.65,7.63,7.63,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96927607,,Treat lower leg bone lesion,A,,8.40,6.93,NA,6.93,,1.65,16.98,16.98,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,97027610,,Explore/treat ankle joint,A,,8.90,7.71,NA,7.71,,1.64,18.25,18.25,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,97127612,,Exploration of ankle joint,A,,7.95,7.01,NA,7.01,,1.25,16.21,16.21,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,97227613,,Biopsy lower leg soft tissue,A,,2.16,5.32,,2.03,,0.33,7.81,4.52,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,97327614,,Biopsy lower leg soft tissue,A,,5.66,11.69,,5.15,,0.92,18.27,11.73,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00