Percutaneous drainage of a soft tissue fluid collection, such as an abscess, hematoma, or seroma, by placing a catheter under imaging guidance.
- Medicare
- $620.92
- Work RVU
- 2.68
- Global, days
- 0
- 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 ↓
- Location and size of the collection on imaging
- Imaging modality used for guidance and a saved image
- Catheter type and size
- Volume and character of fluid removed and any cultures sent
- Number of separate collections drained, each with its own approach
- Relationship to any prior surgery and its global period
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 ↓
10030 covers placing a drainage catheter through the skin into a fluid collection in soft tissue, like an extremity, abdominal wall, or neck, with imaging used to find and guide the needle. It has a 0-day global.
In an orthopedic practice this comes up after surgery. A seroma over a total hip, a hematoma in the thigh after a fracture fixation, or an abscess in the calf may be drained by interventional radiology, or by the surgeon if they do their own ultrasound-guided work. If the collection reaches a joint or prosthesis, it is a different problem with different codes.
The main trap is imaging. Ultrasound, fluoroscopy, CT, and MR guidance are all included in 10030, so do not add 76942, 77002, 77012, or 77021 on top. The code is reported per collection. If you drain two separate collections through separate catheters, report 10030 twice with 59 or XS and document each one. Needle aspiration with no catheter is not 10030. If the operating surgeon drains a postop collection inside their own global, Medicare pays only when the complication requires a return to the operating room (modifier 78). Office drainage of a related collection is part of the global.
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 (2.68) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (18.59) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 2.68 |
| Practice expense RVU | 15.56 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.35 |
| Total RVU | 18.59 |
| Medicare national rate | $620.92 |
| 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 | $620.92 |
HOPD (APC 5071) Hospital outpatient department | $723.47 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $388.55 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 10030 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Imaging guidance billed separately and denied as bundled
- Needle aspiration with no catheter billed as 10030
- Second collection billed without 59 or XS and no separate site documented
- Related drainage in the surgeon's global billed without a return to the OR and modifier 78
- Collection was within a joint or around hardware and a different code applied
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Can I bill ultrasound guidance with 10030?
02Is 10030 reported per collection or per session?
03What if no catheter was used?
04Can a surgeon bill 10030 for a seroma after joint replacement?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe notes the collection site, guidance method, catheter left in place, and fluid removed, which is exactly what reviewers check before paying 10030.
See how Mira captures CPT 10030 documentation