CPT code 61120: Ventricular puncture, burr-hole access2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico

Reports neurosurgical access to a cerebral ventricle through a burr hole for diagnostic sampling or delivery of medication or another substance.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality24 Medicare services in 2024

In New Mexico, Medicare pays $772.59 for 61120 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$772.59Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 61120 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

We’ll open 61120 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in New Mexico
  2. What 61120 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 61120 covers

A neurosurgeon creates a burr hole to reach a cerebral ventricle with a puncture instrument. The access can be used to obtain ventricular cerebrospinal fluid or to introduce medication or another substance for diagnosis or treatment. This is a surgical service typically performed in a facility, such as during evaluation or treatment of a patient with a need for direct ventricular access.

Report 61120 when the operative service is ventricular puncture through a burr hole, rather than placement of a ventricular catheter or a procedure directed at a brain lesion. The operative report should identify the ventricular access, the reason for puncture, and any sampling or injection performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.

How New Mexico compares for 61120

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 61120 runs from $663.42 in Arkansas to $987.79 in Miami, FL. New Mexico pays $772.59. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

61120 in New Mexico vs other payment areas
  1. New Mexico · this page$772.59
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$802.61+$30.02
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$863.96+$91.37
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$987.79+$215.20
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$947.39+$174.80
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$923.90+$151.31
  7. Alaska · Alaska$892.37+$119.78

Other areas in New Mexico first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

61120 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$675.39
ArkansasArkansas—$663.42
ArizonaArizona—$744.44
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$759.83
Chico, CACalifornia—$749.62
El Centro, CACalifornia—$750.28
Fresno, CACalifornia—$749.62
Hanford, CACalifornia—$749.62

61120 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
61120 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

See 61120 in every payment locality

How the 61120 rate is calculated

Each of 61120’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 · 61120

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work9.36

9.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.87

9.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.93

3.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

23.1600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$773.56

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact New Mexico inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

6,747

Code
61120
Physician work
9.36
Practice expense
9.87
Malpractice
3.93

GPCI2026.csv

77

Locality
New Mexico
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.917
Malpractice
1.201
Facility calculation for 61120 in New Mexico
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work9.36× 1.0009.3600
Practice expense9.87× 0.9179.0508
Malpractice3.93× 1.2014.7199
Total RVUs23.1307
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, New Mexico$772.59

Facility: (9.36 × 1 + 9.87 × 0.917 + 3.93 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $772.59

Open 61120 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 61120

61120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61120

Ventricular puncture, burr-hole access

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 61120

Ventricular puncture, burr-hole access

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61120 without 51 · national facility

$773.56

Ventricular puncture, burr-hole access

61120-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$386.78

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%).

When to use modifier 51

How 61120 has changed in New Mexico

61120 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$772.59RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$772.59RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$772.59RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$772.59RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$743.11RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$743.11RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$743.11RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$743.11RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$760.55RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$760.55RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$760.55RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$760.55RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$748.13RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$762.67RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$762.67RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$762.67RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$762.67RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$762.97RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$762.97RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$762.97RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$762.97RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$761.29RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$761.29RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$761.29RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$761.29RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$775.16RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$775.16RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$775.16RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$775.16RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$800.67RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$800.67RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$794.82RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$794.82RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$798.66RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$798.66RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$798.66RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$798.66RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$788.01RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$788.01RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$788.01RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$788.01RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$780.85RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$780.85RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$780.85RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$780.85RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$794.81RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$794.81RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$790.85RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$790.85RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$749.39RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$749.39RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$749.39RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$749.39RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$734.45RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$734.45RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$734.45RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$734.45RVU13AR

Price 61120 for an earlier date of service

Where the New Mexico rate applies

New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Abeytas
  • Abiquiu
  • Acomita Lake
  • Adelino
  • Agua Fria
  • Alamillo
  • Alamo
  • Alamogordo

Browse all communities in New Mexico

61120 billing questions

How is 61120 different from 61107?

61120 describes ventricular puncture through a burr hole. 61107 uses a twist-drill opening for ventricular catheter placement, so select based on the access and service actually performed.

When is 61210 a better fit?

Use 61210 for burr-hole placement of a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or drainage-system connection. 61120 describes puncture access rather than that catheter or device placement.

Can 61120 be reported with a brain biopsy code?

The operative service must support each reported procedure. A burr-hole approach alone does not establish a separate biopsy service; the documentation must show that a brain or lesion biopsy was performed.

Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral ventricular access?

No. CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor or anatomy.

What supports assistant-at-surgery payment?

The record must document why an assistant was medically necessary for the operation. CMS permits assistant payment for 61120 only with that medical-necessity documentation.

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
RVUs for 61120PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,747 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for New MexicoGPCI2026.csv, line 77 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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