Billing code 27161: Femoral osteotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports a corrective bone cut through the femoral neck, typically performed by an orthopedic surgeon to address a proximal femur deformity.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27161 in Washington.
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 27161 covers
The surgeon cuts through the femoral neck to change its alignment or shape, most often to correct a congenital or acquired deformity of the proximal femur. An orthopedic surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting. The operative report should make clear that the cut was at the femoral neck, rather than at the intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric femur, and describe the condition and intended correction.
Report 27161 when the documented work is an osteotomy at the femoral neck; the anatomic level and indication help distinguish it from other hip-region procedures. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 27161 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,115.23 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,214.92 |
How the 27161 rate is calculated
Each of 27161’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 · 27161
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 17.44Practice expense 12.25Malpractice 3.71
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27161
27161 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27161
Femoral osteotomy
| 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 · 27161
Femoral osteotomy
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
27161 without 50 · national facility
$1,115.59
Femoral osteotomy
27161-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,673.39
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).
27161 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27161 vs 27165 vs 27179 vs 27170 vs 27177: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27165Femoral osteotomy
- 27161 identifies an osteotomy at the femoral neck. Choose 27165 when the cut is intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric.
- 27179Femoral osteotomy
- 27179 is specific to osteotomy for slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Use 27161 for a femoral neck osteotomy when that SCFE-specific service is not the documented procedure.
- 27170Femur repair
- 27170 describes bone grafting of the femoral head or neck. It is not the code for a corrective osteotomy.
- 27177Slipped epiphysis
- 27177 describes open treatment of slipped femoral epiphysis. Select it when that treatment is documented, rather than coding a femoral neck osteotomy based only on the general anatomic area.
27161 billing questions
How is 27161 distinguished from an osteotomy at another part of the femur?
The operative report must identify the femoral neck as the site of the bone cut. An intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric osteotomy is a different service.
How does 27161 differ from the slipped femoral epiphysis codes?
Use the code that matches the documented treatment of the slipped epiphysis, such as closed or open treatment. Code 27161 describes an osteotomy at the femoral neck, while 27179 is the osteotomy code associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
What documentation supports reporting 27161?
Document the femoral neck as the osteotomy site, the condition prompting surgery, and the corrective work performed. Include laterality and the operative details needed to show the extent of the procedure.
What postoperative care is included in the CMS global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days after surgery.
How are bilateral procedures and additional same-session procedures handled?
CMS pays bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50 at 150%. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others 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 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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