Billing code 22808: Anterior fusionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Anterior fusion for spinal deformity involving two or three vertebral segments, such as a surgical correction of a structural spinal curve.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 22808 in Utah.
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 22808 covers
This service surgically joins two or three vertebral segments through an anterior approach as part of correcting a spinal deformity. Spine surgeons, including orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons, may perform it for conditions such as scoliosis when an anterior fusion is part of the operative plan. It is generally performed in a hospital operating room rather than an office setting.
Select this code when the operative report supports an anterior deformity fusion and documents two or three segments included in the arthrodesis. Do not select it based only on the number of vertebrae exposed or on instrumentation placed; the fusion approach, deformity indication, and segments fused should be clear. The service has 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 at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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.
22808 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $1,691.11 |
How the 22808 rate is calculated
Each of 22808’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 · 22808
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work26.82
26.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense17.22
17.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.49
8.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
52.5300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,754.55
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 22808
22808 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 22808
Anterior fusion
| 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 · 22808
Anterior fusion
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
22808 without 51 · national facility
$1,754.55
Anterior fusion
22808-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$877.28
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%).
22808 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 22810Anterior fusion
- Both describe anterior deformity fusion; 22810 is for four to seven vertebral segments, rather than two or three.
- 22812Anterior spinal fusion
- Choose 22812 for anterior deformity fusion involving eight or more vertebral segments.
- 22800Spinal fusion
- This code describes posterior deformity fusion for six or fewer segments. The approach, not just the segment count, distinguishes it from 22808.
- 22845Anterior fixation
- 22845 describes anterior instrumentation for two to three segments, not the arthrodesis itself; it may accompany the fusion when fixation is performed.
22808 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from the larger anterior deformity fusion codes?
Use this code for two or three fused vertebral segments. The related anterior codes 22810 and 22812 describe larger segment counts.
Can this be reported with anterior instrumentation?
Anterior instrumentation may be separately reportable when performed; for two or three segments, 22845 is the related instrumentation code. Document the fixation work separately in the operative report.
Should modifier 50 be appended for a bilateral spinal procedure?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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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