Billing code 60240: ThyroidectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical removal of the thyroid gland, commonly for thyroid cancer, Graves disease, or multinodular goiter when the full gland is removed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60240 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 60240 covers
A surgeon removes the thyroid gland, typically both lobes and the isthmus, through a neck incision. Endocrine surgeons, general surgeons, and otolaryngologists may perform the operation in a hospital or other surgical facility. Common clinical settings include thyroid cancer, Graves disease, and multinodular goiter when treatment calls for removal of the full gland. The code describes thyroid removal, not a neck dissection for involved lymph nodes.
Choose 60240 when the operative report supports removal of the full thyroid rather than one lobe or a partial excision. Document the indication, the extent of gland removal, and any accompanying neck dissection so the appropriate thyroidectomy code can be selected. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. The bilateral adjustment does not apply. An assistant at surgery 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.
Where 60240 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $838.11 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $798.67 |
How the 60240 rate is calculated
Each of 60240’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 · 60240
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work14.66
14.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.15
7.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.03
3.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.8400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$829.68
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60240
60240 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60240
Thyroidectomy
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60240
Thyroidectomy
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
60240 without 51 · national facility
$829.68
Thyroidectomy
60240-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$414.84
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
60240 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 60220Thyroid lobectomy
- 60220 describes removal of one thyroid lobe; 60240 is selected when the full gland is removed.
- 60252Thyroidectomy
- Use 60252 when thyroidectomy for malignancy includes a limited neck dissection; 60240 describes thyroid removal without that bundled dissection scope.
- 60254Thyroidectomy
- 60254 is for thyroidectomy for malignancy with extensive neck dissection. The extent of the lymph node dissection, not simply the diagnosis of cancer, distinguishes it from 60240.
- 60260Thyroidectomy
- 60260 describes removal of the remaining thyroid tissue after an earlier partial removal. 60240 describes removal of the gland rather than a completion operation after prior thyroid surgery.
60240 billing questions
How is 60240 different from a thyroid lobectomy code?
Use 60240 when the operative report supports removal of the full thyroid gland. A lobectomy code describes removal of only one lobe or a partial amount of thyroid tissue.
Does 60240 include a neck dissection?
The code represents thyroid removal, not a neck dissection. When surgery for thyroid malignancy also includes lymph node dissection, compare the operative details with 60252 or 60254.
Should modifier 50 be added for removal of both thyroid lobes?
No. CMS identifies the bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to 60240; the code describes removal of the thyroid gland rather than separate bilateral procedures.
What documentation supports reporting 60240?
The operative report should establish the indication and the extent of thyroid tissue removed. It should also describe any neck dissection, since that may affect code selection.
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. Medicare applies the standard multiple procedure reduction when other procedures are performed in the same session.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted 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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