CPT code 24071 – Subcutaneous upper arm tumor excision, 3 cm or greater

Key takeaways

CPT code 24071 covers excision of a subcutaneous soft tissue tumor of the upper arm or elbow area measuring 3 cm or greater.

Its smaller counterpart is 24075, for subcutaneous tumors under 3 cm. Subfascial tumors move to 24076 or 24073 at a 5 cm threshold.

Size is the tumor’s greatest diameter plus the narrowest margin needed for complete excision, measured at the time of surgery.

CMS assigns 24071 a 90-day global period and 11.73 total RVUs, about $392 nationally in 2026.

Modifier 57 covers the decision-for-surgery visit, while 24, 58 and 78 cover care inside the 90-day global period.

CPT code 24071 is the large subcutaneous tumor code

The American Medical Association defines CPT code 24071 as “Excision, tumor, soft tissue of upper arm or elbow area, subcutaneous; 3 cm or greater.” It sits in the Musculoskeletal System section, in the Humerus (Upper Arm) and Elbow range, 24000-24999.

Two conditions must both hold. First, the tumor sits in the subcutaneous layer, above the deep fascia. Second, its size, measured with the excision margin, is 3 cm or more. Lipomas are the typical example, but the code covers any soft tissue tumor that meets both tests.

Subcutaneous means above the deep fascia

The subcutaneous layer is the fatty tissue between the dermis and the deep fascia. A tumor confined to that layer belongs in 24071 or 24075. Once the surgeon goes through the fascia or into muscle, the subfascial codes apply instead. A lesion arising in the skin itself usually codes to the benign lesion excision range, 11400-11406.

Your op note checklist for CPT 24071 has five facts

Payers read the operative note to confirm the code. These are the details a coder needs before assigning 24071:

• Site and side: upper arm or elbow area, right or left.
• Depth: a clear statement that the tumor was subcutaneous, above the fascia.
• Size plus margin: the greatest diameter of the tumor plus the margin taken, in centimeters.
• Specimen: whether the tissue went to pathology.
• Closure: simple, layered or another technique.

A note that only says “subcutaneous mass excised” leaves the coder guessing. When the size is missing, expect a records request or a denial.

The CPT 24071 family numbers skip size order

The 24071 family trips up coders because the numbers run out of size order. The smaller subcutaneous code is 24075, not 24073. Pick by depth first, then by size.

Work RVUs come from the CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule relative value file. A deep tumor under 5 cm has its own page, CPT code 24076.

Step 1: confirm depth. Subcutaneous tumors use 24071 or 24075. Subfascial or intramuscular tumors use 24076 or 24073. A radical resection for a suspected or confirmed malignancy uses 24077 or 24079.

Step 2: confirm size. For a subcutaneous tumor, 3 cm or greater means 24071, and a smaller one is 24075. The chart below maps both checks across all six codes.

Measure the tumor with its margin, at excision

CPT guidelines base the size on the tumor’s greatest diameter plus the narrowest margin needed to remove it completely. The surgeon takes that measurement at the time of excision. The pathology report is a weaker source, because specimens shrink once removed and the margin is not added.

Here is a quick worked example. Take a 2.5 cm lipoma excised with a 0.5 cm margin. Diameter plus margin reaches 3 cm, so the op note supports 24071. Without the margin recorded, the same case drops to 24075.

These ICD-10 codes support a CPT 24071 claim

CPT code 24071 needs a diagnosis that shows why the tumor came out. The ICD-10-CM codes below fit subcutaneous upper arm and elbow tumors. Match the diagnosis side to the procedure side, and code a confirmed malignancy from the C-series instead.

Check codes against the CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM browser tool each fiscal year. Descriptions and laterality rules can change every October 1.

Modifiers for CPT code 24071 follow major surgery rules

A 90-day global period makes 24071 a major procedure under Medicare rules. That status changes which evaluation and management (E/M) modifiers apply, so confirm payer-specific rules before billing.

Run these six checks before you submit CPT 24071

Each check below catches a different denial reason, so work through them in order. A clearinghouse then scrubs the claim before the payer sees it, and this Claim.MD clearinghouse review shows what those scrubs look at.

1. Eligibility and authorization: confirm coverage before scheduling. Some commercial plans require prior authorization for elective excisions, so check the payer’s policy.
2. Documentation: gather the operative note and, once ready, the pathology report. The op note needs all five facts listed above.
3. Code choice: apply the depth-then-size check. Confirm that the documented size includes the margin.
4. Diagnosis: link an ICD-10-CM code that matches the tumor type and the side.
5. Modifiers: add RT or LT, plus 57, 59 or XS only where they apply.
6. Submission: send a clean claim on the CMS-1500 or 837P with place of service 11, 22 or 24 as appropriate.

Medicare pays about $392 for CPT code 24071 in 2026

The 2026 national Medicare payment for CPT code 24071 is about $392. That is 11.73 total RVUs at the $33.4009 conversion factor. Figures come from the CMS 2026 relative value file, October release. Check your local rate with the CMS Physician Fee Schedule lookup tool.

CMS flags the office practice expense for 24071 as NA, meaning the procedure is rarely done in an office. The office and facility totals are therefore the same 11.73 RVUs. Its small sibling, 24075, carries an office total of 17.05 RVUs, so the larger code can pay less in an office.

Your locality’s geographic practice cost index (GPCI) then adjusts the national figure. Qualifying APM participants use the $33.5675 conversion factor, which gives about $394. Commercial contracts often use Medicare as their baseline, too.

The CPT 24071 global period runs 90 days

CPT code 24071 carries a 90-day global period. Routine postoperative visits in those 90 days are part of the surgical payment. The preoperative visit on the day before or day of surgery is included too. An E/M billed in that window without a modifier is denied as bundled, and the electronic remittance advice shows the adjustment code.

These services stay separately billable during the global period:

• Unrelated E/M visits (modifier 24): a visit for a condition unrelated to the excision.
• Decision for surgery (modifier 57): the visit where the decision to operate was made, on the day before or day of surgery.
• Complications back in the OR (modifier 78): an unplanned return for a related problem, paid at the intraoperative portion.
• Staged procedures (modifier 58): a planned related procedure, which starts a new global period.
• Pathology: the pathologist bills the surgical pathology separately, typically 88304 for a lipoma and 88307 for most other soft tissue tumors or masses.

Common CPT 24071 mistakes start with size, depth or side

The denial management patterns for soft tissue excision codes repeat, with wrong size and missing laterality near the top. Catching them before submission is faster than appealing afterward.

When a claim does come back, the denial codes on the remittance show whether you need a corrected claim or an appeal. The AAPC CPT code lookup helps confirm neighboring codes.

Pabau keeps CPT 24071 claims complete before they leave

A soft tissue excision claim often comes back for a clerical reason, such as a blank field or a mistyped code. Each rework costs your billing team time on a claim that was already coded correctly.

In Pabau’s claims management software, the claim is pre-filled from the patient record. Coders look up 24071 and the diagnosis in searchable CPT/HCPCS and ICD-10-CM code libraries. Required-field checks then hold an incomplete claim back before it goes to Claim.MD.

Your team can also run eligibility checks before the appointment. When the payer responds, ERA posting applies the payment to the right invoice. That leaves your coders more time for the depth and size decisions that set the code.

Streamline your surgical billing workflow

Pabau pre-fills claims from the patient record, checks required fields, submits through Claim.MD and posts ERA payments. See how it fits a practice billing excision codes like 24071.

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Conclusion

CPT code 24071 rewards the practice that measures at the table. Once the op note records depth, diameter and margin, choosing between 24071 and 24075 stops being a judgment call.

The longer commitment is the 90-day global period. Note the surgery date where your billing team will see it, so later visits carry modifier 24, 58 or 78 when they apply.

If your team wants claims that leave complete and post back cleanly, book a demo to see Pabau’s billing workflow.

Continue your research

Need to understand how clearinghouse validation works? What is a medical claims clearinghouse? explains the role clearinghouses play in catching CPT and modifier errors before they reach payers.

Building a denial prevention process for your practice? What is revenue cycle management? covers the full claims lifecycle from coding through payment posting and denial appeals.

Looking for the complete guide to CPT billing compliance? Medical billing compliance outlines documentation standards, NCCI rules, and audit risk areas for outpatient surgical procedures.

Is the tumor below the fascia? CPT code 24076: Excision of subfascial soft tissue tumor, upper arm or elbow covers the deeper code in the same family.

Working on a shoulder excision instead? CPT code 23073: Shoulder soft tissue tumor excision guide walks through the shoulder-area codes and their size rules.

Frequently asked questions