Billing code 60600: Carotid body excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Surgical removal of a carotid body lesion while preserving the carotid artery, typically for a paraganglioma at the carotid bifurcation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60600 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 60600 covers
The carotid body sits at the division of the common carotid artery. This operation removes a lesion arising there, commonly a carotid body paraganglioma, through careful dissection around the carotid vessels. Vascular surgeons and head and neck surgeons typically perform it in an operating room. The defining feature for this code is removal of the lesion without excising the carotid artery.
Report 60600 when the operative record supports lesion excision with the carotid artery preserved; use 60605 when the artery is excised. Documentation should identify the carotid body lesion and describe the extent of dissection and whether artery removal occurred. This major surgery includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 60600 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,213.76 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,167.71 |
How the 60600 rate is calculated
Each of 60600’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 · 60600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 24.46Practice expense 6.59Malpractice 5.60
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60600
60600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60600
Carotid body excision
| 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 · 60600
Carotid body excision
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
60600 without 51 · national facility
$1,224.14
Carotid body excision
60600-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$612.07
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%).
60600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
60600 vs 60605 vs 60699: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 60605Carotid tumor excision
- Choose 60605 when excision of the carotid body lesion includes removal of the carotid artery; 60600 describes lesion removal with the artery preserved.
- 60699Unlisted px endocrine system
- Use 60600 for the described carotid body lesion operation. Consider the unlisted code only when the actual procedure is not represented by a specific listed code.
60600 billing questions
How do I distinguish 60600 from 60605?
Use 60600 when the carotid body lesion is removed without excising the carotid artery. When the operation includes excision of the artery, the related code is 60605.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
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
Fee sheets
Put 60600 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →