No office rate
Use 27475 for growth arrest at the distal femur. This code identifies the distal tibial physis.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27479 Growth arrest Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports surgical arrest of the distal tibial growth plate to guide leg growth, commonly for a planned correction of limb-length difference. Compare 27479 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
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 27479 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$801.04
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Orthopedic surgery
About 27479: Distal tibial growth plate arrest
Reports surgical arrest of the distal tibial growth plate to guide leg growth, commonly for a planned correction of limb-length difference.
An orthopedic surgeon uses this procedure to stop growth at the distal tibial physis, near the ankle. It may be selected as part of a growth-guidance plan for a child or adolescent with a leg-length difference, when remaining growth is expected to help bring limb lengths closer. The code identifies the distal tibia; growth arrest at another physis or at multiple sites is coded according to the site and extent performed.
Report the procedure when the operative record supports arrest of the distal tibial physis, with the side, site, and method documented. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When bilateral procedures are performed, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27479
- 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 RVU12.83 · 50%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.87 · 39%
- Malpractice RVU2.73 · 11%
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.
27479 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Use 27477 for growth arrest at the proximal tibia; this code is for the distal tibia near the ankle.
No office rate
27485 identifies growth arrest involving the distal femur and proximal tibia together, rather than the distal tibia alone.
No office rate
27466 reports femoral lengthening, not arrest of a growth plate. The procedures represent different approaches to managing selected limb-length differences.
Compare 27479 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$801.04
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 27479 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,912
- Code
- 27479
- Physician work
- 12.83
- Practice expense
- 9.87
- Malpractice
- 2.73
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 12.83 | × 1.000 | 12.8300 |
| Practice expense | 9.87 | × 0.990 | 9.7713 |
| Malpractice | 2.73 | × 0.506 | 1.3814 |
| Total RVUs | 23.9827 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Vermont$801.04
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 12.83 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 9.87 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 2.73 | 0.506 |
(12.83 × 1 + 9.87 × 0.99 + 2.73 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $801.04
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
27479 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 27475 or 27477?
This code is for arrest of the distal tibial physis. Codes 27475 and 27477 identify the distal femur and proximal tibia, respectively.
What documentation supports reporting this procedure?
The operative record should identify the distal tibial growth plate, laterality, and the growth-arrest procedure performed. The clinical record should support the growth-guidance plan, including the limb-length concern when applicable.
Does the global period include related postoperative care?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is a bilateral procedure handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, modifier 50 applies and CMS pays at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.
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 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.
2,90927472,,Repair/graft of thigh,A,,18.25,12.48,NA,12.48,,3.88,34.61,34.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91027475,,Surgery to stop leg growth,A,,8.71,8.22,NA,8.22,,1.85,18.78,18.78,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91127477,,Surgery to stop leg growth,A,,9.89,8.59,NA,8.59,,2.10,20.58,20.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91227479,,Surgery to stop leg growth,A,,12.83,9.87,NA,9.87,,2.73,25.43,25.43,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91327485,,Surgery to stop leg growth,A,,8.90,8.16,NA,8.16,,1.90,18.96,18.96,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91427486,,Revise/replace knee joint,A,,20.59,13.23,NA,13.23,,4.35,38.17,38.17,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,91527487,,Revise/replace knee joint,A,,26.43,15.11,NA,15.11,,5.60,47.14,47.14,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817