Billing code 60522: Thymus removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Report this code when partial or total thymus removal is performed together with radical resection of a mediastinal tumor during the same operation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60522 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 60522 covers
This operation removes part or all of the thymus as part of a radical resection of a mediastinal tumor. A thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs it in a hospital operating room, for example when treating a thymic tumor that requires removal of surrounding mediastinal tumor tissue. The defining feature is the combined tumor resection, not simply the amount of thymus removed or the surgical approach.
Report the code once for the combined operation. The operative report should support removal of thymic tissue and the radical mediastinal tumor resection. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. CMS does not permit team-surgery reporting for this code, and modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single-organ service.
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.
60522 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $1,260.21 |
How the 60522 rate is calculated
Each of 60522’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 · 60522
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 22.89Practice expense 10.38Malpractice 5.66
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60522
60522 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60522
Thymus removal
| 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60522
Thymus removal
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
60522 without 51 · national facility
$1,300.30
Thymus removal
60522-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$650.15
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%).
60522 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
60522 vs 60520 vs 60521 vs 39220: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 60520Thymectomy
- 60520 describes thymectomy using a transcervical approach. Choose 60522 when the operation also includes radical mediastinal tumor resection.
- 60521Thymectomy
- 60521 describes thymectomy performed with sternotomy or thoracotomy. The defining feature for 60522 is radical mediastinal tumor resection with thymectomy.
- 39220Mediastinal resection
- 39220 is for mediastinal tumor excision without thymectomy. Use 60522 when thymus removal is part of the radical tumor resection.
60522 billing questions
When should I choose this code over 60520 or 60521?
Use this code when the thymus is removed as part of a radical mediastinal tumor resection. Codes 60520 and 60521 describe thymectomy without that added tumor-resection feature and distinguish approach.
Can the mediastinal tumor resection be billed separately?
Do not separately report tumor-removal work that is part of the combined operation represented by this code. The operative report should establish that the thymectomy and radical tumor resection were performed together.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should describe the thymic tissue removed and the mediastinal tumor resection, including its extent. It should make clear that the service involved more than thymectomy alone.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; CMS does not permit team-surgery reporting for this code.
Should modifier 50 be used?
No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this thymus-removal service.
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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