Cutting into the skin to remove a foreign object lodged in subcutaneous tissue when the removal is straightforward.
- Medicare
- $157.32
- Work RVU
- 1.19
- Global, days
- 10
- Region
- Multi-region
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Type of foreign body and how it got there
- Exact location and depth (subcutaneous)
- Incision made, with size
- Foreign body removed and whether it was intact
- Imaging used to locate it, if any
- Wound closure or dressing and tetanus status
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
10120 is for a foreign body sitting just under the skin that comes out through a simple incision. Think splinter, glass shard, or a fragment of metal in the palm or sole. It has a 10-day global.
Orthopedic and podiatry offices see this often: a patient stepped on a needle or glass, or got a wood sliver in the hand. If the object is in muscle, tendon sheath, or deeper, use 20520 or 20525. In the foot, 28190 covers subcutaneous foreign body removal and 28192 and 28193 cover deep and complicated removals. Foot-specific codes win over 10120 when the object is in the foot.
Most denials start in the note. Pulling a splinter out with forceps without an incision is part of the E/M, not 10120. Imaging done to find the object (x-ray, ultrasound) can be billed separately when it is a distinct diagnostic study with its own report. And if the removal needed extensive dissection, the code should be 10121.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (1.19) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (4.71) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 1.19 |
| Practice expense RVU | 3.38 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.14 |
| Total RVU | 4.71 |
| Medicare national rate | $157.32 |
| Global period | 10 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $157.32 |
HOPD (APC 5052) Hospital outpatient department | $415.32 |
ASC (PI P3) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $113.46 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 10120 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- No incision documented, removal was part of the visit
- Foot foreign body coded 10120 instead of 28190
- Object was in muscle or tendon sheath and needed 20520 or 20525
- E/M billed same day without 25 and separate work
- Extensive dissection documented but simple code billed, or the reverse
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Is splinter removal billed as 10120?
02Which code for a foreign body in the foot?
03Can I bill an x-ray with 10120?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe records the object, its depth, the incision, and what came out, so the note supports the removal code instead of folding it into the visit.
See how Mira captures CPT 10120 documentation