Billing code 22902: Abdominal wall excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Removal of a small soft-tissue mass confined to the subcutaneous abdominal wall, reported when the excised tumor measures less than 3 cm.
Medicare pays $469.85–$501.24 for 22902 in the office in Missouri, from Rest Of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 22902 covers
This service removes a soft-tissue tumor located in the subcutaneous layer of the abdominal wall, such as a small lipoma. The surgeon exposes and excises the mass while distinguishing it from deeper involvement of the abdominal wall. It may be performed in an office procedure room or a surgical facility, depending on the clinical circumstances and the surgeon’s approach.
Select this code when the tumor is subcutaneous and measures less than 3 cm; use the operative report to support its size and tissue depth. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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 50% reduction. Bilateral adjustment is not appropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery payment 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.
Where 22902 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$469.85 to $501.24
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City | $495.96 | $321.26 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | $501.24 | $324.13 |
| Rest Of Missouri | $469.85 | $309.48 |
How the 22902 rate is calculated
Each of 22902’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 · 22902
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.31Practice expense 10.11Malpractice 1.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 22902
22902 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 22902
Abdominal wall excision
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 22902
Abdominal wall excision
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
22902 without 51 · national office
$517.38
Abdominal wall excision
22902-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$258.69
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
22902 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
22902 vs 22903 vs 22900 vs 22901 vs 22904: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 22903Tumor excision
- Use 22903 for a subcutaneous abdominal wall tumor measuring 3 cm or more. This code applies to a subcutaneous tumor under 3 cm.
- 22900Tumor excision
- Use 22900 when the abdominal wall tumor is in a deeper tissue plane and under 5 cm. This code is for a subcutaneous tumor under 3 cm.
- 22901Tumor excision
- Use 22901 for a deeper abdominal wall tumor measuring 5 cm or more. This code describes a smaller, subcutaneous tumor.
- 22904Abdominal tumor resection
- 22904 describes radical resection of an abdominal tumor under 5 cm, a different operative service from excision of a small subcutaneous mass.
22902 billing questions
How is this distinguished from 22903?
Both describe subcutaneous abdominal wall tumor excision; choose 22902 for a tumor under 3 cm and 22903 for one measuring 3 cm or more. Document the tumor size in the operative record.
When should 22900 or 22901 be used instead?
Those codes describe abdominal wall tumors in a deeper tissue plane rather than the subcutaneous layer. The operative findings should establish whether the tumor is superficial or deep.
Is the incision length used to select the size level?
No. Select the size level from the tumor measurement, not the length of the incision. Record the tumor’s size and location in the operative report.
Can modifier 50 be reported for tumors on both sides?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. Separately consider only services that are outside the included global-period care and meet applicable reporting requirements.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery payment is 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 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
Fee sheets
Put 22902 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →