Billing code 27030: Hip drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports open surgical drainage of the hip joint, commonly for septic arthritis when the surgeon enters the joint to evacuate infected fluid.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27030 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 27030 covers
This service involves surgically opening the hip joint to drain fluid, most often in a patient with septic arthritis. An orthopedic surgeon typically performs it in an operating room, where the joint can be accessed and the collected fluid drained. It is for drainage within the joint, rather than treatment of a nearby soft-tissue collection or a diagnostic sample alone.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports hip-joint entry and drainage; document the indication, operative findings, and work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services 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.
27030 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $833.48 |
How the 27030 rate is calculated
Each of 27030’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 · 27030
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 13.31Practice expense 9.64Malpractice 2.82
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27030
27030 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27030
Hip 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 · 27030
Hip 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
27030 without 50 · national facility
$860.74
Hip drainage
27030-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,291.11
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).
27030 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27030 vs 27033 vs 27052 vs 27054: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27033Hip arthrotomy
- Choose 27030 when the operative objective is hip-joint drainage. Code 27033 applies when the surgeon explores the joint to remove a loose or foreign body.
- 27052Joint biopsy
- Code 27052 represents biopsy of the hip joint for tissue diagnosis; 27030 represents operative drainage of the joint.
- 27054Hip synovectomy
- Code 27054 describes removal of the hip-joint lining. It is not the drainage service represented by 27030.
27030 billing questions
When is this code appropriate instead of a hip-joint biopsy code?
Use it when the operative objective is to drain the hip joint, such as for septic arthritis. A biopsy code represents tissue sampling for diagnosis, not drainage as the primary service.
How does this differ from the other hip arthrotomy code?
This service addresses drainage. Code 27033 describes hip-joint exploration to remove a loose or foreign body, rather than drainage as the operative objective.
What documentation supports reporting it?
The operative report should establish that the surgeon entered the hip joint and drained it, and describe the indication and findings, such as infected joint fluid.
How is bilateral surgery handled?
For bilateral reporting, use modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What payment rules apply when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with other procedures paid at 50%. The code has a 90-day global period; assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed, while co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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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