Closed manual reduction of a traumatic hip dislocation performed without anesthesia — the femoral head is physically manipulated back into the acetabulum using skilled technique alone.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 6 sources ↓

Medicare: $174.69
Total RVUs: 5.23
Global, days: 0
Region: Hip

Drawn from CMSAAPCFastrvuMdclarityGenhealth

Documentation requirements

What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 6 cited references ↓

Explicit statement that no anesthesia (local, regional, or general) was administered during the reduction
Pre-reduction imaging (X-ray or MRI) confirming traumatic dislocation and ruling out associated fractures
Post-reduction imaging confirming successful return of femoral head to acetabulum
Description of the manual reduction technique and patient positioning used
Mechanism of injury establishing traumatic, not pathologic or prosthetic, etiology
Laterality documented — left hip (LT) or right hip (RT) — matching the claim modifier

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

22 Increased complexity 50 Bilateral procedure 51 Multiple procedures 52 Reduced services 76 Repeat, same physician 77 Repeat, another physician 78 Unplanned return — related 79 Unrelated during global LT Left side RT Right side

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 6 cited references ↓

CPT 27250 covers closed reduction of a traumatic hip dislocation performed without anesthesia. The treating physician manually repositions the femoral head into the acetabulum through controlled manipulation of the leg. No incisions are made and no sedation or general anesthesia is administered — that distinction directly determines whether 27250 or 27252 applies. Pre-reduction imaging (X-ray, and sometimes MRI) is required to confirm the dislocation and rule out associated fractures. Post-reduction imaging is performed to verify successful realignment before the patient is cleared.

The global period is 000, meaning the day of service is the only bundled period. Any follow-up visits, imaging, or procedures billed the next day or later are outside the global and bill separately. Because this procedure is almost always performed in an emergency or facility setting, the non-facility rate does not apply — the code is effectively a facility-only billing scenario in practice.

Know the code family: 27250 is without anesthesia; 27252 is the same closed reduction but with anesthesia. If the reduction fails and an open procedure is required, that escalates to a different code entirely. Selecting the wrong code in this family is a common audit trigger, so documentation of whether anesthesia was used must be explicit in the operative or procedure note.

RVU & reimbursement

Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	3.72
Practice expense RVU	0.61
Malpractice RVU	0.9
Total RVU	5.23
Medicare national rate	$174.69
Global period	0 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	$174.69
HOPD (APC 5111) Hospital outpatient department	$252.01
ASC (PI A2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding)	$135.54

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 27250 get rejected.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓

Anesthesia administered but modifier or upgrade to 27252 not reflected on the claim
Missing post-reduction imaging documentation to confirm successful reduction
Laterality modifier absent or mismatched between the claim and operative note
ICD-10 diagnosis coded as prosthetic dislocation (T84.020x/T84.021x) rather than traumatic native hip dislocation, triggering a code mismatch
Procedure billed in a non-facility setting where payer does not reimburse this code

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 6 cited references ↓

01What's the difference between 27250 and 27252?

Anesthesia. CPT 27250 is closed reduction without any anesthesia. CPT 27252 is closed reduction performed with anesthesia — local, regional, or general. The distinction must be explicit in the procedure note. Don't use 27250 if the patient received even conscious sedation administered by a separate provider for the reduction.

02What global period applies to 27250?

Zero days (000). The global covers only the day of surgery. Any follow-up visits or procedures the next day and beyond are billed separately without a global-period modifier requirement.

03Can 27250 be billed in the office or clinic setting?

Rarely, and most payers won't pay it there. This procedure is almost universally performed in an ED or facility setting. The non-facility rate is not practically applicable, and some payers explicitly limit coverage to facility-based claims. Verify with the specific payer before billing in an outpatient clinic.

04Which ICD-10 codes support 27250?

Use traumatic hip dislocation codes — S73.00x through S73.01x series for native joint dislocation with appropriate laterality and encounter suffixes. Do not use T84.020x or T84.021x (prosthetic dislocation); those map to a different clinical and coding pathway.

05When does modifier 22 apply to 27250?

When the reduction required substantially more work than typical — for example, a significantly delayed presentation with muscle spasm making reduction exceptionally difficult. Modifier 22 requires a written explanation in the operative note and a cover letter to the payer. Don't apply it routinely; payers scrutinize it on low-RVU codes.

06If the closed reduction fails and open surgery is performed the same day, how do you bill?

Bill the open procedure code only. A failed closed attempt that converts to open in the same operative session is not separately billable — the open reduction code captures the entire encounter. Document the conversion clearly in the operative note.

Sources & references

Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the explicit absence of anesthesia, the reduction technique and patient positioning, laterality, and confirmation of post-reduction imaging from the physician's dictation. That documentation chain prevents the most common denial for 27250: a payer downgrading or rejecting the claim because the record doesn't clearly distinguish this procedure from the anesthesia-assisted variant (27252) or fails to confirm successful realignment.

See how Mira captures CPT 27250 documentation