No office rate
27601 is for posterior-compartment decompression. Use 27600 for anterior and/or lateral compartment release.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27600 Leg decompression Medicare reimbursement rates in Minnesota
Reports surgical release of the lower leg’s anterior and/or lateral compartment, typically to relieve pressure from compartment syndrome. Compare 27600 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Minnesota.
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 27600 in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$351.09
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Minnesota
One mapped payment locality.
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 27600: Lower-leg anterior or lateral fasciotomy
Reports surgical release of the lower leg’s anterior and/or lateral compartment, typically to relieve pressure from compartment syndrome.
This operation releases the anterior and/or lateral compartment of the lower leg to relieve pressure on muscle, nerves, and blood flow. Orthopedic or trauma surgeons commonly perform it for acute compartment syndrome, such as pressure developing after a fracture or other injury. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, often in a hospital facility.
Select this code when the operative report supports release of the anterior and/or lateral compartment, rather than the posterior compartment alone or two or more compartments. Document the indication, side, and compartments released; the extent of release distinguishes this service from 27601 and 27602. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27600
- 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 paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.88 · 52%
- Practice expense (office) RVU4.15 · 37%
- Malpractice RVU1.22 · 11%
511
Medicare services in 2024 · #3547 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.
27600 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Minnesota, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
27602 describes decompression involving two or more compartments. Choose 27600 when the documented release is limited to the anterior and/or lateral compartment pattern.
$533.10
27603 is for draining a lower-leg lesion, not releasing a compartment to relieve pressure.
Compare 27600 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Minnesota →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$351.09
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 27600 in Minnesota.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,962
- Code
- 27600
- Physician work
- 5.88
- Practice expense
- 4.15
- Malpractice
- 1.22
GPCI2026.csv
66
- Locality
- Minnesota
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.029
- Malpractice
- 0.296
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.88 | × 1.000 | 5.8800 |
| Practice expense | 4.15 | × 1.029 | 4.2703 |
| Malpractice | 1.22 | × 0.296 | 0.3611 |
| Total RVUs | 10.5115 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Minnesota$351.09
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.88 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 4.15 | 1.029 |
| Malpractice | 1.22 | 0.296 |
(5.88 × 1 + 4.15 × 1.029 + 1.22 × 0.296) × $33.4009 = $351.09
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
27600 billing questions
How do I choose between 27600, 27601, and 27602?
Use 27600 for release of the anterior and/or lateral compartment, 27601 for the posterior compartment, and 27602 when two or more compartments are released. Base the choice on the compartments documented in the operative report.
What operative documentation supports 27600?
The report should identify the indication, side, and compartments released. It should support anterior and/or lateral compartment decompression rather than a different compartment pattern.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. Medicare treats those services as part of the global surgical period.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid for 27600?
CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
How is bilateral 27600 reported for Medicare?
When the procedure is bilateral, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure 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.
2,95927596,,Amputation follow-up surgery,A,,11.01,6.11,NA,6.11,,2.64,19.76,19.76,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96027598,,Amputate lower leg at knee,A,,10.94,5.71,NA,5.71,,2.67,19.32,19.32,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96127599,,Unlisted px femur/knee,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,2,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96227600,,Decompression of lower leg,A,,5.88,4.15,NA,4.15,,1.22,11.25,11.25,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96327601,,Decompression of lower leg,A,,5.90,5.50,NA,5.50,,1.12,12.52,12.52,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96427602,,Decompression of lower leg,A,,7.62,3.79,NA,3.79,,1.88,13.29,13.29,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,96527603,,Drain lower leg lesion,A,,5.10,10.29,,5.10,,0.92,16.31,11.12,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6314212,MA,99,REST OF MASSACHUSETTS,1.016,1.053,0.797
6408202,MI,01,DETROIT,1.000,0.965,1.686
6508202,MI,99,REST OF MICHIGAN,1.000,0.913,1.129
6606202,MN,00,MINNESOTA,1.000,1.029,0.296
6707302,MS,00,MISSISSIPPI,1.000,0.861,0.739
6805302,MO,02,METROPOLITAN KANSAS CITY,1.000,0.939,0.977
6905302,MO,01,METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.952,1.002