Billing code 27882: Lower-leg amputationMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports an open, circular amputation through the tibia and fibula, commonly performed as an initial stage when infection or tissue damage requires leaving the wound open.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27882 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 27882 covers
This code describes a guillotine-style amputation through the tibia and fibula, with the surgical site left open rather than closed with definitive flaps. Surgeons may use this staged approach when severe infection, gangrene, or other tissue damage makes immediate closure unsuitable. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room by an orthopedic, vascular, or general surgeon.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports an open circular technique at the lower-leg level; distinguish it from a closed below-knee amputation and one performed with immediate fitting and a rigid dressing. The major-surgery 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 is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon payment require their respective supporting documentation; 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.
Where 27882 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $554.30 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $528.23 |
How the 27882 rate is calculated
Each of 27882’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 · 27882
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.55
9.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.61
4.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.38
2.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.5400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$552.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27882
27882 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27882
Lower-leg amputation
| 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) | 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 · 27882
Lower-leg amputation
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
27882 without 50 · national facility
$552.45
Lower-leg amputation
27882-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$828.68
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).
27882 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27880Leg amputation
- Choose 27882 for the open circular guillotine technique. Code 27880 describes a lower-leg amputation without that specific technique.
- 27881Below-knee amputation
- Code 27881 includes immediate fitting and a rigid dressing. This code describes an open circular amputation instead.
- 27888Foot amputation
- Code 27888 describes an amputation at the foot or ankle level; 27882 is for amputation through the tibia and fibula.
- 27889Ankle amputation
- Code 27889 is for ankle disarticulation. Use 27882 when the documented amputation passes through the tibia and fibula.
27882 billing questions
How does this differ from 27880?
This code is for an open circular, or guillotine, lower-leg amputation. Code 27880 describes a lower-leg amputation without that open-technique distinction.
When would 27881 be reported instead?
Use 27881 when the lower-leg amputation includes the immediate fitting technique and application of a rigid dressing. The open circular technique described by this code is distinct.
Can related postoperative care be billed separately?
The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care, as well as the day-before preoperative visit. A later operation to revise or complete the amputation is a separate surgical service, not routine follow-up.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS facts for this code.
What documentation supports assistant or co-surgeon payment?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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