Billing code 24138: Bone sequestrectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Removal of a sequestrum from the olecranon process, typically during surgery for devitalized bone associated with osteomyelitis or another bone infection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 24138 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 24138 covers
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.
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 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $635.49 |
How the 24138 rate is calculated
Each of 24138’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 · 24138
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.29
8.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.74
9.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.76
1.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.7900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$661.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 24138
24138 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 24138
Bone sequestrectomy
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 24138
Bone sequestrectomy
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
24138 without 50 · national facility
$661.00
Bone sequestrectomy
24138-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$991.50
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
24138 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 24147Olecranon excision
- This code is specific to removing a sequestrum from the olecranon process. Code 24147 describes partial excision of olecranon bone more broadly.
- 24105Bursa excision
- Code 24105 is for excision of the olecranon bursa, a soft-tissue structure. This code is for removal of devitalized olecranon bone.
- 24136Bone sequestrectomy
- Both codes describe sequestrectomy, but 24136 is for the radial head or neck; this code is for the olecranon process.
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 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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