Billing code 27485: Guided growthMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports partial growth-plate restraint at the distal femur or proximal tibia to gradually correct a child’s angular leg deformity while growth remains.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27485 in Oregon.
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 27485 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses hemiepiphysiodesis to restrain growth on one side of a growth plate, allowing the opposite side to continue growing and gradually improve angular alignment. Typical indications include genu valgum or genu varum in a growing child; the treated site may be the distal femur or proximal tibia or fibula. The surgeon may use a plate, staples, screws, or another technique to achieve the partial restraint.
Report this code for the hemiepiphyseal procedure at the covered site, rather than a procedure that arrests the entire growth plate or corrects alignment by cutting and realigning bone. The operative report should identify the deformity, treated bone and side, growth plate, and technique or implant. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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.
Where 27485 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $652.04 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $613.34 |
How the 27485 rate is calculated
Each of 27485’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 · 27485
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.90Practice expense 8.16Malpractice 1.90
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27485
27485 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27485
Guided growth
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 27485
Guided growth
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
27485 without 50 · national facility
$633.28
Guided growth
27485-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$949.92
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).
27485 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27485 vs 27475 vs 27477 vs 27479: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27475Growth arrest
- Use 27475 for epiphyseal arrest at the distal femur. Use 27485 when the surgeon restrains only one side of the growth plate for guided correction.
- 27477Growth arrest surgery
- Use 27477 for epiphyseal arrest at the proximal tibia. Code 27485 represents hemiepiphysiodesis, not arrest of the entire growth plate.
- 27479Growth arrest
- Use 27479 for epiphyseal arrest at a site other than the distal femur or proximal tibia; 27485 is for hemiepiphysiodesis at its specified leg sites.
27485 billing questions
How is 27485 different from full epiphyseal arrest codes?
27485 describes restraint of one side of a growth plate for gradual correction. Codes 27475 and 27477 describe epiphyseal arrest at the distal femur and proximal tibia, respectively.
What documentation supports reporting 27485?
Document the angular deformity, the treated bone and side, the growth plate addressed, and the hemiepiphysiodesis method or implant.
Can the code be reported for both legs?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code. The operative documentation should support treatment on both sides.
Are assistant surgeon services separately payable?
No. Medicare has a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are also not permitted.
Is routine postoperative care separately reported during the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. Care outside that included scope is not characterized by this global-period rule.
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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