Billing code 27303: Bone drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports operative drainage of a bone lesion in the femur or knee region when treatment requires opening the bone cortex.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27303 in Nevada.
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 27303 covers
This operation treats a lesion within bone, such as an abscess associated with osteomyelitis, by surgically opening the cortex to drain the involved area. It is generally performed by an orthopedic surgeon in an operating room, often in a hospital or other facility setting. The target is bone in the femur or knee region, rather than a collection confined to surrounding soft tissue or the knee joint.
Report the service when the surgeon’s operative work includes opening bone to drain the lesion; documentation should identify the site, the lesion, and the drainage performed. The code 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 the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
27303 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $594.45 |
How the 27303 rate is calculated
Each of 27303’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 · 27303
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.41
8.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.93
7.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.74
1.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$603.89
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27303
27303 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27303
Bone drainage
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 · 27303
Bone drainage
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
27303 without 50 · national facility
$603.89
Bone drainage
27303-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$905.84
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
27303 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27301Deep drainage
- Use 27303 when the lesion being drained is in bone and the surgeon opens the cortex. Use 27301 for a deep abscess in thigh or knee soft tissue.
- 27310Knee arthrotomy
- 27310 concerns operative work within the knee joint. This code concerns drainage of a lesion in bone in the femur or knee region.
- 20245Bone biopsy
- 20245 obtains a deep bone specimen with a trocar or needle. This code describes operative drainage requiring opening the bone cortex.
27303 billing questions
When should this be used instead of 27301?
Use 27303 when the surgeon opens bone in the femur or knee region to drain a bone lesion. Code 27301 describes drainage of a deep thigh or knee soft-tissue lesion.
Is drainage of a knee joint the same service?
No. This code is for drainage involving bone; a procedure directed into the knee joint is a different service, such as the arthrotomy represented by 27310.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the femur or knee-region bone site, describe the lesion, and document opening the bone cortex and draining the involved area.
How does the 90-day global period affect follow-up billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. The code is classified as major surgery.
How are bilateral procedures and multiple same-session procedures handled?
Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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
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