CPT code 61150: Intracranial drainage, abscess or cyst2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61150 in California.

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

What 61150 covers

A neurosurgeon uses a burr hole or trephine opening to reach and drain an abscess or cyst within the brain. The service is generally performed in an operating room or hospital setting for a patient requiring operative treatment of an intracranial collection. This code identifies drainage; diagnostic sampling, ventricular access, and evacuation of a hematoma have different procedural purposes and should not be substituted based only on the type of skull opening.

Report the code when the operative record supports drainage of a brain abscess or cyst through the described approach. The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 61150 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 61150 rate is calculated

Each of 61150’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 61150

61150 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

61150 compared with similar codes

How to choose

61151Subdural tapBurr hole or trephine

61150 is for operative drainage of a brain abscess or cyst; 61151 describes subsequent tapping of a cyst or abscess.

61140Brain biopsyBurr-hole or trephine approach

Use 61140 when the burr hole or trephine is for biopsy of brain tissue or a lesion. Use 61150 when the intent is drainage of an abscess or cyst.

61154Hematoma drainageExtradural or subdural

61154 addresses evacuation or drainage of an extradural or subdural hematoma, not drainage of a brain abscess or cyst.

61156Burr-hole aspirationIntracerebral hematoma or cyst

61156 is for aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst. Distinguish it from 61150 by the documented procedure and target.

Codes related to 61150

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates