No office rate
This code describes excision of a thyroglossal duct lesion; 60281 is the corresponding code when the lesion is recurrent.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
60280 Duct lesion excision Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports surgical removal of a thyroglossal duct cyst or sinus, a midline neck remnant that may be excised with or without part of the hyoid bone. Compare 60280 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 60280 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
$392.70
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.
Head and neck surgery
About 60280: Thyroglossal duct lesion excision
Reports surgical removal of a thyroglossal duct cyst or sinus, a midline neck remnant that may be excised with or without part of the hyoid bone.
This operation removes a thyroglossal duct cyst or sinus, typically a congenital midline neck lesion that may become infected or form a draining tract. The surgeon follows and excises the duct remnant; the procedure may include removal of the central portion of the hyoid bone. Otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons commonly perform it in a hospital operating room, with general surgeons also performing the operation.
Select this code when the operative diagnosis and findings identify a thyroglossal duct remnant, rather than a lesion arising in the thyroid gland. The operative report should support the lesion’s location and the excision performed, including whether the hyoid was removed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this midline structure. An assistant may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 60280
- 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.01 · 49%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.33 · 43%
- Malpractice RVU0.93 · 8%
314
Medicare services in 2024 · #3961 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.
60280 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Use 60280 for a thyroglossal duct remnant in the neck. Use 60200 for a cyst or adenoma of the thyroid or transection of its isthmus.
$375.76
60280 is for a thyroglossal duct cyst or sinus; 42810 describes excision of a branchial cleft lesion.
Compare 60280 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
$392.70
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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 60280 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,708
- Code
- 60280
- Physician work
- 6.01
- Practice expense
- 5.33
- Malpractice
- 0.93
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 6.01 | × 1.000 | 6.0100 |
| Practice expense | 5.33 | × 0.990 | 5.2767 |
| Malpractice | 0.93 | × 0.506 | 0.4706 |
| Total RVUs | 11.7573 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Vermont$392.70
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6.01 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.33 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.93 | 0.506 |
(6.01 × 1 + 5.33 × 0.99 + 0.93 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $392.70
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.
60280 billing questions
How is this code different from 60281?
60280 describes excision of a thyroglossal duct cyst or sinus. Use 60281 when the lesion is recurrent.
How can I distinguish this from 60200?
60280 is for a thyroglossal duct remnant in the neck. 60200 is for a cyst or adenoma arising in the thyroid or for transection of the thyroid isthmus.
Does removing the hyoid change the code?
No. The code covers excision with or without removal of the hyoid bone; the operative report should document what was removed.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral surgery?
No. The lesion is associated with a midline duct remnant, and CMS bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code.
How are assistant and co-surgeon claims handled?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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.
6,70560260,,Repeat thyroid surgery,A,,17.80,7.77,NA,7.77,,3.47,29.04,29.04,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,70660270,,Removal of thyroid,A,,22.62,9.48,NA,9.48,,4.69,36.79,36.79,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,70760271,,Removal of thyroid,A,,17.18,7.69,NA,7.69,,3.46,28.33,28.33,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,70860280,,Remove thyroid duct lesion,A,,6.01,5.33,NA,5.33,,0.93,12.27,12.27,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,70960281,,Remove thyroid duct lesion,A,,8.60,5.87,NA,5.87,,1.26,15.73,15.73,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,71060300,,Aspir/inj thyroid cyst,A,,0.95,2.03,,0.19,,0.11,3.09,1.25,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,7116030F,,Max sterile barriers flwd,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,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