Billing code 22102: Vertebral excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report 22102 for partial removal of a lumbar vertebral body to treat an intrinsic bone lesion when the procedure does not decompress a spinal nerve root or cord.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 22102 in Texas.
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 22102 covers
This code describes partial removal of a lumbar vertebral body to address a lesion arising within the bone, without decompressing the spinal cord or a nerve root. A spine surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital operating room. The operative report should identify the lumbar vertebral level, the bony lesion, the portion removed, and whether neural decompression was performed. A procedure specifically directed at excising a benign vertebral tumor or cyst may instead fit code 22114.
Report 22102 for the lumbar segment treated; use 22103 for each additional vertebral segment when applicable. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 22102 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $712.55 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $672.48 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $689.57 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $695.90 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $693.83 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $692.94 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $724.97 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $681.99 |
How the 22102 rate is calculated
Each of 22102’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 · 22102
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.80
10.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.47
8.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.75
1.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
21.0200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$702.09
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 22102
22102 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 22102
Vertebral 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) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 22102
Vertebral 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
22102 without 51 · national facility
$702.09
Vertebral excision
22102-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$351.05
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%).
22102 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 22114Spinal lesion excision
- Both address lumbar vertebral lesions without neural decompression. Choose 22114 for excision of a benign vertebral tumor or cyst; 22102 describes partial removal for an intrinsic bony lesion.
- 22103Spine lesion excision
- 22102 reports the lumbar vertebral segment treated as the primary service. 22103 is the add-on for each additional vertebral segment, not a substitute for the primary code.
- 63047Lumbar decompression
- 63047 describes lumbar spinal stenosis decompression. 22102 concerns partial removal of a vertebral body for an intrinsic bone lesion without spinal cord or nerve-root decompression.
22102 billing questions
When should 22102 be chosen over 22114?
Use 22102 for partial removal of a lumbar vertebral body for an intrinsic bone lesion without neural decompression. Code 22114 is the lumbar option for excision of a benign vertebral tumor or cyst without cord or nerve-root decompression.
Can 22103 be reported with 22102?
Yes. Code 22103 is the add-on for each additional vertebral segment; document the additional level or levels treated.
Can 22102 be reported when spinal decompression is performed?
This code describes vertebral lesion removal without spinal cord or nerve-root decompression. If decompression is part of the operation, select coding that reflects the documented work rather than treating 22102 as the decompression service.
What supports reporting 22102?
The operative report should identify the lumbar level, the intrinsic bony lesion, the partial vertebral-body removal, and whether decompression occurred.
How do global and multiple-procedure payment rules affect 22102?
It has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced under the standard multiple-procedure rule.
Which surgical assistance rules apply?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while 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
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