Billing code 25031: Bursal drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports operative incision and drainage of a forearm or wrist bursa, typically to evacuate infected or otherwise abnormal bursal fluid.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25031 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 25031 covers
This service opens a bursa in the forearm or wrist and drains its contents. It is most often performed by an orthopedic or hand surgeon when a bursa requires operative drainage, such as for suspected infection or a persistent fluid collection. The operative note should identify the bursa and side, describe the findings, and document the incision and drainage performed.
Choose this code when the structure treated is a bursa, rather than a deep soft-tissue abscess, tendon sheath, or bone. The CMS global period includes 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%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
25031 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $347.28 |
How the 25031 rate is calculated
Each of 25031’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 · 25031
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.15
4.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.86
5.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.89
0.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.9000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$364.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25031
25031 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25031
Bursal 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 25031
Bursal 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
25031 without 50 · national facility
$364.07
Bursal drainage
25031-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$546.11
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).
25031 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
25031 vs 25028 vs 25000: Medicare rates
How to choose
25031 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 25028?
Use 25031 when the operative target is a forearm or wrist bursa. Code 25028 describes drainage of a deep abscess or hematoma in that region, not a bursa.
What documentation supports reporting 25031?
Document the forearm or wrist bursa treated, laterality, operative findings, and the drainage performed. The record should make clear that the treated structure was a bursa.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is bilateral drainage handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, CMS payment with modifier 50 is at 150%.
Can an assistant or another surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only with documentation of medical necessity. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
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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