Repair stern/nuss w/o scope
Choose 21742 for minimally invasive pectus repair performed without thoracoscopy. Code 21740 describes open sternal reconstruction.
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
Open sternal reconstruction reshapes or rebuilds the sternum to correct a congenital or acquired chest-wall deformity, such as pectus deformity. Compare 21740 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Michigan.
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.
Michigan 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.
No supported rate
$984.44–$1078.85
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.
Thoracic surgery
Open sternal reconstruction reshapes or rebuilds the sternum to correct a congenital or acquired chest-wall deformity, such as pectus deformity.
This service involves surgically reconstructing the sternum to correct a congenital or acquired deformity. It is typically performed by a thoracic surgeon in an operating room. Open reconstruction may be selected for a chest-wall deformity such as pectus excavatum or carinatum; the operative approach and extent of reconstruction distinguish it from minimally invasive repair techniques.
Report the code when the surgeon’s work reconstructs the sternum, not simply closes a separated median sternotomy. The operative report should identify the deformity, the anatomic problem addressed, and the reconstruction 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 the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons are paid only with 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.
Office rates for Michigan, from the same CMS release.
Repair stern/nuss w/o scope
Choose 21742 for minimally invasive pectus repair performed without thoracoscopy. Code 21740 describes open sternal reconstruction.
Repair sternum/nuss w/scope
Choose 21743 for minimally invasive pectus repair performed with thoracoscopy. Code 21740 describes open sternal reconstruction.
Code 21750 is for closing a separated median sternotomy. Code 21740 is for reconstructing the sternum to correct a congenital or acquired deformity.
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2 of 2 payment localities
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1078.85
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$984.44
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This code describes open sternal reconstruction for a deformity. The minimally invasive pectus codes distinguish repair performed without thoracoscopy from repair performed with thoracoscopy.
No. Code 21750 describes closure of median sternotomy separation; choose based on the documented procedure and indication rather than the shared sternal anatomy.
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
The operative report should describe the congenital or acquired sternal deformity, the reconstruction performed, and the extent of the surgical work.
The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Those related services are included in the surgical global package.
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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.