Billing code 20692: External fixationMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports surgical application of a unilateral multiplane external fixation system, such as a ring frame, to stabilize a fracture or correct a bone deformity.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 20692 in Ohio.
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 20692 covers
An orthopedic surgeon applies this external fixation system when pins or wires are positioned in more than one plane to stabilize bone. Common settings include the operating room for complex fractures, limb deformity correction, or bone lengthening; an Ilizarov-type ring frame is a familiar example. The code distinguishes multiplane construction from a uniplane frame and describes application to one side.
Documentation should identify the treated bone and side, the indication, and the multiplane pin-or-wire arrangement. Report application rather than a later adjustment, revision, or removal service. 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, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this unilateral service. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
20692 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,011.40 |
How the 20692 rate is calculated
Each of 20692’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 · 20692
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 15.86Practice expense 12.56Malpractice 2.93
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20692
20692 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 20692
External fixation
| 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 · 20692
External fixation
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
20692 without 51 · national facility
$1,047.12
External fixation
20692-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$523.56
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%).
20692 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
20692 vs 20690 vs 20696 vs 20693 vs 20694: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 20690External fixation
- 20690 describes a uniplane frame. Choose 20692 when the pins or wires are placed in more than one plane.
- 20696External fixation
- 20696 is for multiplane external fixation with stereotactic computer-assisted adjustment; 20692 describes multiplane application without that feature.
- 20693Fixator adjustment
- 20693 reports adjustment or revision of an external fixation system under anesthesia, not initial frame application.
- 20694Fixator removal
- 20694 reports removal of an external fixation system under anesthesia, rather than its application.
20692 billing questions
How does 20692 differ from 20690?
Use 20692 for a frame with pins or wires arranged in more than one plane. Code 20690 describes a uniplane arrangement.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The unilateral service and its anatomy make the bilateral adjustment inappropriate.
What documentation supports the multiplane code?
Document the bone and side treated, the reason for fixation, and the pin-or-wire configuration showing placement in multiple planes.
Is adjustment or removal included in the application code?
The application code reports placement of the frame. A later adjustment or revision under anesthesia and removal under anesthesia have distinct codes, 20693 and 20694.
How does the global period affect related postoperative care?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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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