No office rate
Choose 27330 when the arthrotomy is performed to obtain a biopsy. Choose 27331 when the operative work removes synovial tissue from an anterior or posterior portion of the joint.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27331 Knee arthrotomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Ohio
Reports open knee surgery to remove synovial tissue from an anterior or posterior portion of the joint when direct surgical treatment is performed. Compare 27331 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Ohio.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 27331 in Ohio?
Ohio has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$440.57
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Orthopedic surgery
About 27331: Knee arthrotomy with anterior or posterior synovectomy
Reports open knee surgery to remove synovial tissue from an anterior or posterior portion of the joint when direct surgical treatment is performed.
Code 27331 represents open entry into the knee joint to remove synovial tissue from either its anterior or posterior portion. Orthopedic surgeons may perform it for symptomatic synovial disease requiring direct surgical treatment. The operative report should establish the open approach and identify the portion of the joint treated. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room, including hospital outpatient and inpatient settings.
Select this code when the documented work is an anterior or posterior synovectomy, rather than a biopsy alone or a major synovectomy involving multiple compartments. Documentation should describe the synovial abnormality, surgical approach, area treated, and extent of tissue removal. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral procedures with modifier 50 are paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27331
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.87 · 43%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.66 · 48%
- Malpractice RVU1.23 · 9%
599
Medicare services in 2024 · #3397 by national volume
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.
27331 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Ohio, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
27334 describes a major synovectomy involving two compartments. Distinguish it from 27331 by the documented extent and compartments treated.
No office rate
27335 describes a major synovectomy involving three compartments; 27331 describes an anterior or posterior synovectomy.
Compare 27331 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Ohio →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$440.57
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 27331 in Ohio.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,842
- Code
- 27331
- Physician work
- 5.87
- Practice expense
- 6.66
- Malpractice
- 1.23
GPCI2026.csv
85
- Locality
- Ohio
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.913
- Malpractice
- 1.008
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.87 | × 1.000 | 5.8700 |
| Practice expense | 6.66 | × 0.913 | 6.0806 |
| Malpractice | 1.23 | × 1.008 | 1.2398 |
| Total RVUs | 13.1904 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Ohio$440.57
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.87 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 6.66 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 1.23 | 1.008 |
(5.87 × 1 + 6.66 × 0.913 + 1.23 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $440.57
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
27331 billing questions
How is 27331 different from 27330?
Use 27331 for open removal of synovial tissue from an anterior or posterior portion of the knee joint. Code 27330 is for an arthrotomy performed to obtain a biopsy.
When should a major synovectomy code be considered instead?
Compare the documented extent with 27334 and 27335, which describe major synovectomy involving two or three knee compartments. Code 27331 distinguishes an anterior or posterior synovectomy.
How does Medicare handle bilateral reporting?
For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What should the operative report support?
Document the open approach, the synovial abnormality, whether the anterior or posterior portion was treated, and the extent of tissue removal.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,83927328,,Exc thigh/knee tum deep <5cm,A,,8.63,7.08,NA,7.08,,1.96,17.67,17.67,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84027329,,Resect thigh/knee tum < 5 cm,A,,15.33,10.11,NA,10.11,,3.48,28.92,28.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84127330,,Biopsy knee joint lining,A,,4.98,6.31,NA,6.31,,1.07,12.36,12.36,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84227331,,Explore/treat knee joint,A,,5.87,6.66,NA,6.66,,1.23,13.76,13.76,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84327332,,Removal of knee cartilage,A,,8.25,8.41,NA,8.41,,1.75,18.41,18.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84427333,,Removal of knee cartilage,A,,7.36,7.98,NA,7.98,,1.56,16.90,16.90,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,84527334,,Remove knee joint lining,A,,8.96,8.60,NA,8.60,,1.90,19.46,19.46,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8213282,NY,99,REST OF NEW YORK,1.000,0.950,0.703
8311502,NC,00,NORTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.933,0.639
8403302,ND,01,NORTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.406
8515202,OH,00,OHIO,1.000,0.913,1.008
8604312,OK,00,OKLAHOMA,1.000,0.893,0.777
8702302,OR,01,PORTLAND,1.016,1.111,0.744
8802302,OR,99,REST OF OREGON,1.000,0.996,0.703