CPT code 10061: Abscess drainage, complex or multiple2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Report this service for drainage of a complex skin abscess or multiple abscesses when the work exceeds a simple, single-site drainage.
Medicare pays $204.78–$213.98 for 10061 in the office in Louisiana, from Rest of Louisiana to New Orleans, LA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 10061 covers
This service covers incision and drainage of a skin or subcutaneous abscess when the case involves multiple abscesses or greater procedural complexity than a straightforward single abscess. The clinician opens the collection and evacuates its contents; complex cases may require additional exploration or disruption of loculations. Dermatologists, primary care clinicians, surgeons, and emergency physicians commonly perform the procedure in an office, emergency department, or facility setting.
Choose this code based on the number of abscesses and the documented work, rather than simply the body site. The note should identify the sites treated, the number of collections, and the steps supporting complexity. Medicare includes related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 10061 pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | $213.98 | $169.98 |
| Rest of Louisiana | $204.78 | $163.40 |
How the 10061 rate is calculated
Each of 10061’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 · 10061
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.39
2.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.87
3.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.33
0.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.5900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$220.11
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 10061
10061 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 10061
Abscess drainage, complex or multiple
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 10061
Abscess drainage, complex or multiple
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
10061 without 51 · national office
$220.11
Abscess drainage, complex or multiple
10061-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$110.06
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%).
10061 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 10060Abscess drainageSimple, single abscess
- 10060 describes a simple, single abscess drainage. Select 10061 for multiple abscesses or greater procedural complexity documented in the operative note.
- 10081Pilonidal drainageComplicated incision and drainage
- 10081 is specific to complex drainage of a pilonidal cyst. Use 10061 for qualifying complex or multiple abscesses outside that site-specific service.
- 10030Fluid drainageImage-guided, soft tissue
- 10030 is for image-guided percutaneous catheter drainage of a soft-tissue collection. This code describes incision and drainage of a complex or multiple abscess presentation.
10061 billing questions
How is this distinguished from 10060?
Use 10060 for drainage of a simple, single abscess. Use 10061 when multiple abscesses are treated or the documented procedure is more complex.
What documentation supports the complex level?
Record each site treated, the number of abscesses, and the procedural steps that made the drainage more involved than a simple, single abscess.
Should modifier 50 be reported for abscesses on both sides?
No. CMS specifies that bilateral adjustment does not apply and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
Are related wound checks separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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