$3,172.85
Both codes cover percutaneous ablation of bone tumors with imaging guidance included. Select 20983 for cryoablation and 20982 for radiofrequency ablation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
20983 Bone ablation Medicare reimbursement rates in Tennessee
Report percutaneous cryoablation when an image-guided probe freezes one or more bone tumors, such as an osteoid osteoma or painful bone metastasis. Compare 20983 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Tennessee.
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 20983 in Tennessee?
Tennessee 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
$4469.57
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$285.16
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
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.
Musculoskeletal procedures
About 20983: Percutaneous bone tumor cryoablation
Report percutaneous cryoablation when an image-guided probe freezes one or more bone tumors, such as an osteoid osteoma or painful bone metastasis.
Percutaneous cryoablation uses a probe inserted through the skin to freeze and destroy one or more bone tumors. An interventional radiologist or orthopedic oncologist typically performs the procedure in a hospital or other image-guided procedural setting, often using CT to position and monitor the probe. Treatment may target a painful primary bone lesion or a bone metastasis. Imaging guidance is included in the service.
Choose this code for cryoablation; radiofrequency ablation of bone tumors is reported with 20982. Document the tumor site and number, the cryoablation method, probe placement, imaging guidance, and the treatment performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. When reported bilaterally with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 20983
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.71 · 5%
- Practice expense (office) RVU139.34 · 95%
- Malpractice RVU0.83 · 1%
223
Medicare services in 2024 · #4222 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.
20983 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Tennessee, from the same CMS release.
$335.58
This code represents a deep bone needle biopsy to obtain tissue; 20983 destroys a tumor by freezing it.
20999
No office rateUnlisted px muscskel general
20999 is for a musculoskeletal procedure without a specific code. Use 20983 when the bone tumor is treated by percutaneous cryoablation.
Compare 20983 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
Tennessee →
Office / nonfacility
$4469.57
Facility
$285.16
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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 20983 in Tennessee.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,833
- Code
- 20983
- Physician work
- 6.71
- Practice expense
- 139.34
- Malpractice
- 0.83
GPCI2026.csv
95
- Locality
- Tennessee
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.909
- Malpractice
- 0.537
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 6.71 | × 1.000 | 6.7100 |
| Practice expense | 139.34 | × 0.909 | 126.6601 |
| Malpractice | 0.83 | × 0.537 | 0.4457 |
| Total RVUs | 133.8158 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Tennessee$4469.57
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6.71 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 139.34 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0.83 | 0.537 |
(6.71 × 1 + 139.34 × 0.909 + 0.83 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $4469.57
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6.71 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.52 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0.83 | 0.537 |
(6.71 × 1 + 1.52 × 0.909 + 0.83 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $285.16
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.
20983 billing questions
How is 20983 different from 20982?
20983 is for percutaneous cryoablation of bone tumors. Use 20982 for the radiofrequency method.
Is imaging guidance separately reported with 20983?
Imaging guidance is included in 20983. Do not separately report guidance for positioning and monitoring the ablation probe as part of this service.
What documentation supports reporting 20983?
Record the bone tumor site and number, the cryoablation technique, probe placement, imaging guidance, and the treatment performed.
How does CMS pay when other procedures are performed in the same session?
CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can 20983 be reported bilaterally, and how is it paid?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral service at 150%.
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.
1,83020975,,Estim aid bone healg invasiv,A,,2.54,1.76,NA,1.76,,0.75,5.05,5.05,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83120979,,Lw ntsty us stimj bone healg,A,,0.60,0.97,,0.12,,0.07,1.64,0.79,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83220982,,Ablate bone tumor(s) perq,A,,6.84,96.34,,1.71,,1.08,104.26,9.63,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83320983,,Ablate bone tumor(s) perq,A,,6.71,139.34,,1.52,,0.83,146.88,9.06,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83420985,,Cptr-asst dir ms px,A,,2.44,0.77,NA,0.77,,0.50,3.71,3.71,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83520999,,Unlisted px muscskel general,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,83621010,,Incision of jaw joint,A,,10.76,7.82,NA,7.82,,1.56,20.14,20.14,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537
9604412,TX,31,AUSTIN,1.002,1.058,0.886
9704412,TX,20,BEAUMONT,1.000,0.910,0.929
9804412,TX,09,BRAZORIA,1.008,0.991,0.780