No office rate
60500 describes cervical exploration that is not a re-exploration. 60502 is the corresponding code when the surgeon re-explores the parathyroid region.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
60500 Parathyroid surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Report cervical exploration or removal of parathyroid tissue, commonly to locate and treat abnormal glands in patients with hyperparathyroidism. Compare 60500 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 60500 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
$832.83
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.
Endocrine surgery
About 60500: Cervical parathyroid exploration or removal
Report cervical exploration or removal of parathyroid tissue, commonly to locate and treat abnormal glands in patients with hyperparathyroidism.
A surgeon explores the parathyroid glands through a cervical approach to locate abnormal tissue and may remove one or more glands. This operation is commonly performed for primary hyperparathyroidism caused by an adenoma or gland hyperplasia; it may also address other documented parathyroid disease. General, endocrine, and head-and-neck surgeons typically perform it in a hospital operating room. The code covers cervical exploration, including access to mediastinal glands through that approach; a sternotomy or transthoracic approach for mediastinal exploration is distinguished from this service.
Report the operation when the surgeon performs the cervical exploration or parathyroid removal, whether or not an abnormal gland is ultimately found. The operative report should support the indication, approach, extent of exploration, and any tissue removed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 60500
- 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 RVU15.21 · 57%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.09 · 30%
- Malpractice RVU3.39 · 13%
21.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1125 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.
60500 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
60500 applies to cervical access, including mediastinal glands reached through the neck. 60505 is for mediastinal exploration through a sternal split or transthoracic approach.
No office rate
60500 represents the cervical exploration or removal. 60512 represents parathyroid tissue autotransplantation performed as an additional service.
Compare 60500 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
$832.83
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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 60500 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,714
- Code
- 60500
- Physician work
- 15.21
- Practice expense
- 8.09
- Malpractice
- 3.39
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 15.21 | × 1.000 | 15.2100 |
| Practice expense | 8.09 | × 0.990 | 8.0091 |
| Malpractice | 3.39 | × 0.506 | 1.7153 |
| Total RVUs | 24.9344 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Vermont$832.83
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 15.21 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.09 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 3.39 | 0.506 |
(15.21 × 1 + 8.09 × 0.99 + 3.39 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $832.83
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.
60500 billing questions
When should 60500 be chosen over 60502?
Use 60500 for a cervical exploration or removal that is not a re-exploration. 60502 identifies a repeat exploration of the parathyroid region.
How is 60500 distinguished from 60505?
60500 describes the cervical approach, including mediastinal glands reached through that approach. Use 60505 when mediastinal exploration requires a sternal split or transthoracic approach.
Can parathyroid autotransplantation be reported with 60500?
When parathyroid tissue is autotransplanted during the operation, 60512 may be reported in addition to the primary procedure when supported by the operative documentation.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral gland exploration?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 60500; report the documented cervical procedure without modifier 50.
What operative details support 60500?
Document the clinical indication, cervical approach, glands or areas explored, and whether abnormal tissue was removed. The note should also make clear whether the operation was an initial exploration or a re-exploration.
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.
6,7116030F,,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
6,7126040F,,Appro rad ds dvcs techs docd,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
6,7136045F,,Radxps in end rprt4fluro pxd,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
6,71460500,,Explore parathyroid glands,A,,15.21,8.09,NA,8.09,,3.39,26.69,26.69,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,71560502,,Re-explore parathyroids,A,,20.62,10.52,NA,10.52,,4.87,36.01,36.01,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,71660505,,Explore parathyroid glands,A,,22.48,10.18,NA,10.18,,3.27,35.93,35.93,0,090,0.09,0.82,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,71760512,,Autotransplant parathyroid,A,,4.33,1.08,NA,1.08,,0.91,6.32,6.32,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,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