Billing code 27170: Femur repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Reports operative repair of a femoral head or neck nonunion or malunion, with grafting when needed to support healing and restore alignment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27170 in Virginia.
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 27170 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses this service to correct a femoral head or neck fracture that has failed to unite or healed in a problematic position. The operation addresses the abnormal bone and may use graft material to support healing; the code includes obtaining the graft. It is typically performed in an operating room, often for a proximal femur fracture that needs reconstruction rather than replacement.
Select this code when the operative treatment repairs a nonunion or malunion at the femoral head or neck, not simply because graft material is used. The operative report should identify the site and healing problem, describe the repair and any grafting, and support the work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
Where 27170 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Unavailable | $1,175.71 |
| Virginia | Unavailable | $1,023.03 |
How the 27170 rate is calculated
Each of 27170’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 · 27170
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.17
17.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.07
11.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.65
3.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
31.8900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,065.15
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27170
27170 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27170
Femur repair
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 27170
Femur repair
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
27170 without 50 · national facility
$1,065.15
Femur repair
27170-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,597.73
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).
27170 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27125Hip replacement
- Use 27170 to repair a femoral head or neck nonunion or malunion. Use 27125 when the operative treatment replaces the femoral head with a prosthesis.
- 27130Hip replacement
- 27170 repairs the native femoral head or neck; 27130 replaces the hip joint with a total prosthesis.
- 27165Femoral osteotomy
- 27170 addresses failed or abnormal healing at the femoral head or neck. 27165 describes an osteotomy at the intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric region.
27170 billing questions
When should this be reported instead of a hip replacement code?
Report 27170 when the surgeon repairs a nonunion or malunion of the femoral head or neck. Hip replacement codes describe replacing the femoral head or joint rather than repairing the native bone.
Can graft procurement be billed separately?
Graft procurement is included in 27170. The code covers the repair with or without grafting.
What documentation supports 27170?
Document the femoral head or neck site, the nonunion or malunion, and the operative repair performed. Include grafting details when graft is used.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50, paid at 150%. The code has a 90-day global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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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