Billing code 60270: ThyroidectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Report this operation when a substernal thyroid requires surgical removal through a cervical incision rather than a sternal split or thoracic approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 60270 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 60270 covers
This code describes removal of thyroid tissue that extends below the thoracic inlet, approached through an incision in the neck. It is typically performed by an endocrine, general, or head and neck surgeon in a hospital operating room when the substernal portion can be managed through the cervical route. The operative report should establish the substernal extension and describe the approach and extent of tissue removed.
Select this code based on the substernal thyroid and cervical approach, not simply because the gland is removed. Distinguish it from a thoracic or sternal-split approach and from thyroid removal without a substernal component. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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 60270 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,217.98 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,309.81 |
How the 60270 rate is calculated
Each of 60270’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 · 60270
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work22.62
22.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.48
9.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.69
4.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
36.7900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,228.82
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 60270
60270 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 60270
Thyroidectomy
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 0.09/0.82/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 60270
Thyroidectomy
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
60270 without 51 · national facility
$1,228.82
Thyroidectomy
60270-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$614.41
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
60270 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 60271Thyroidectomy
- Both involve substernal thyroid tissue. Choose 60270 for the cervical route and 60271 when the operation uses a sternal split or thoracic approach.
- 60240Thyroidectomy
- 60240 describes total or complete thyroidectomy. Use 60270 when the substernal location and cervical approach define the operation.
- 60260Thyroidectomy
- 60260 describes removal of thyroid tissue remaining after an earlier partial thyroidectomy. It is not selected solely because the gland has substernal extension.
- 60252Thyroidectomy
- 60252 is for thyroidectomy for malignancy with limited neck dissection. This code distinguishes a substernal thyroid removed through a cervical approach.
60270 billing questions
How is this different from code 60271?
Both describe removal of substernal thyroid tissue. This code is for a cervical approach; 60271 is for a sternal-split or thoracic approach.
When should I choose this instead of 60240?
Use this code when the operative documentation supports substernal thyroid tissue removed through a cervical approach. Code 60240 describes total or complete thyroidectomy without that substernal-approach distinction.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should describe the substernal extension, the cervical route used, and the thyroid tissue removed. Include the operative details supporting any assistant or co-surgeon claim.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; report the substernal thyroid operation without modifier 50.
How does the 90-day global period affect related care?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team-surgery payment 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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