No office rate
This code is specific to removing a sequestrum from the olecranon process. Code 24147 describes partial excision of olecranon bone more broadly.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
24138 Bone sequestrectomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Removal of a sequestrum from the olecranon process, typically during surgery for devitalized bone associated with osteomyelitis or another bone infection. Compare 24138 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Texas.
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 24138 in Texas?
Texas has 8 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 8 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
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.
Where 24138 pays more and less in Texas
Orthopedic surgery
About 24138: Olecranon process sequestrectomy
Removal of a sequestrum from the olecranon process, typically during surgery for devitalized bone associated with osteomyelitis or another bone infection.
An orthopedic surgeon removes a separated piece of devitalized bone, or sequestrum, from the olecranon process at the tip of the ulna. This operation is typically performed in a facility for a patient with localized bone infection, such as osteomyelitis, when the affected bone requires surgical removal. The target is bone, not the olecranon bursa.
Report the code when the operative work is specifically removal of a sequestrum from the olecranon process. The operative note should identify the site and describe the sequestrum and its removal; a broader partial bone excision may call for a different code. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that 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 procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 24138
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.29 · 42%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.74 · 49%
- Malpractice RVU1.76 · 9%
65
Medicare services in 2024 · #5185 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.
24138 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 24105 is for excision of the olecranon bursa, a soft-tissue structure. This code is for removal of devitalized olecranon bone.
No office rate
Both codes describe sequestrectomy, but 24136 is for the radial head or neck; this code is for the olecranon process.
Compare 24138 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.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $673.72 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $627.55 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.36 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $653.85 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $651.36 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $650.83 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $683.05 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $638.71 |
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24138 billing questions
How is this code different from partial excision of the olecranon?
This code is for removal of a sequestrum from the olecranon process. Use the partial-excision code when the operation is a broader partial removal of olecranon bone rather than sequestrectomy.
Does this code describe removal of the olecranon bursa?
No. It describes removal of devitalized bone from the olecranon process. Excision of the olecranon bursa is a different operation.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the olecranon process as the site and describe the sequestrum and its surgical removal. Documentation of the clinical context, such as osteomyelitis, can support why the bone was removed.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How does Medicare handle another procedure performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are paid at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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.
2,27624130,,Excision radial head,A,,6.26,7.04,NA,7.04,,1.23,14.53,14.53,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,27724134,,Sequestrectomy shft/dstl hum,A,,9.96,8.97,NA,8.97,,2.12,21.05,21.05,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,27824136,,Sequestrectomy radial h/n,A,,8.19,8.05,NA,8.05,,1.74,17.98,17.98,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,27924138,,Sequestrectomy olecrn proces,A,,8.29,9.74,NA,9.74,,1.76,19.79,19.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,28024140,,Partial exc bone humerus,A,,9.31,8.42,NA,8.42,,1.91,19.64,19.64,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,28124145,,Prtl exc bone radial h/n,A,,7.61,7.71,NA,7.71,,1.63,16.95,16.95,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,28224147,,Prtl exc bone olecrn process,A,,7.64,8.69,NA,8.69,,1.53,17.86,17.86,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00