Billing code 27340: Bursa excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports surgical removal of the prepatellar bursa, typically for persistent symptomatic bursitis involving the superficial tissue over the kneecap.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27340 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 27340 covers
This procedure removes the prepatellar bursa, the fluid-filled sac in front of the kneecap. An orthopedic surgeon commonly performs it for persistent, symptomatic prepatellar bursitis, including a chronically thickened or repeatedly inflamed bursa. The operative report should identify the prepatellar location and describe removal of the bursa, rather than removal of a knee-joint structure or a separate soft-tissue mass.
Report the service when the documented work is excision of the prepatellar bursa. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces other procedures to 50%. For bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50, payment is at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 27340 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $375.14 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $416.74 |
How the 27340 rate is calculated
Each of 27340’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 · 27340
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.21Practice expense 5.98Malpractice 0.88
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27340
27340 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27340
Bursa excision
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 27340
Bursa excision
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
27340 without 50 · national facility
$369.75
Bursa excision
27340-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$554.63
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).
27340 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27340 vs 27345 vs 27327 vs 27337 vs 20610: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27345Knee cyst excision
- Use 27340 for the bursa in front of the kneecap; 27345 describes excision of a popliteal cyst behind the knee.
- 27327Soft-tissue excision
- Use 27327 for a small subcutaneous soft-tissue lesion in the thigh or knee area. Use 27340 when the structure excised is the prepatellar bursa.
- 27337Soft-tissue excision
- Use 27337 for a larger subcutaneous soft-tissue lesion in the thigh or knee area, not for removal of the prepatellar bursa.
- 20610Joint injection
- Code 20610 represents aspiration or injection of a major joint or bursa. Code 27340 represents surgical removal of the prepatellar bursa.
27340 billing questions
How is this different from removing a Baker cyst?
This code is for removal of the bursa over the kneecap. A popliteal, or Baker, cyst behind the knee is a different condition and is reported with 27345 when excised.
Can aspiration of the bursa be reported instead?
Aspiration or injection of a major joint or bursa is a different service from surgical excision. Code 20610 may apply to aspiration or injection when that service is performed and documented.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the prepatellar location, the condition prompting surgery, and the operative work identifying and removing the bursa. The note should distinguish the bursa from a separate soft-tissue mass or an intra-articular structure.
How does Medicare handle bilateral excision?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays at 150%.
Are assistant or co-surgeon claims payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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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