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CPT code 61304: Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports an exploratory cranial opening above the tentorium when the surgeon investigates intracranial pathology without performing a separately defined therapeutic procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities397 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,608.92 for 61304 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61304

Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
22.82
Total RVUs
48.17
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,608.92

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61304 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 61304 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 61304 covers

A neurosurgeon opens the skull over the cerebral hemispheres, above the tentorium, to inspect intracranial structures when exploration is the operative objective. The surgeon may create a temporary bone opening or remove bone as part of the approach. This is a facility-based cranial operation, typically performed in an operating room; Medicare recorded facility services for this code in 2024.

Select the code based on the supratentorial location and the exploratory purpose documented in the operative report. Record the approach, structures examined, findings, and any additional procedure performed so the reported service reflects the work actually done. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures 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 not appropriate for this cranial service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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 61304 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

61304 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,404.72
AlaskaUnavailable$1,881.45
ArizonaUnavailable$1,546.70
ArkansasUnavailable$1,380.04
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,683.64
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,604.81
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,549.67
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,735.13
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,538.77
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,540.24

61304 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
61304 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

How the 61304 rate is calculated

Each of 61304’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 · 61304

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work22.82

22.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense15.82

15.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice9.53

9.53 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

48.1700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,608.92

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61304

61304 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61304

Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 61304

Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial

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

61304 without 51 · national facility

$1,608.92

Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial

61304-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$804.46

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

61304 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61304

    Exploratory craniotomy, supratentorial22.82 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61305

    Cranial exploration, infratentorial approach27.92 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61312

    Hematoma evacuation, supratentorial, extra- or subdural29.42 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61313

    Hematoma evacuation, supratentorial, intracerebral27.39 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

61305Cranial explorationInfratentorial approach
Choose 61304 for exploration above the tentorium and 61305 for exploration below it, in the infratentorial region.
61312Hematoma evacuationSupratentorial, extra- or subdural
61312 identifies evacuation of a supratentorial extradural or subdural hematoma; 61304 describes exploration rather than that specified treatment.
61313Hematoma evacuationSupratentorial, intracerebral
61313 is for evacuation of an intracerebral hematoma. Use 61304 when the documented operation is exploratory rather than hematoma evacuation.

Codes related to 61304

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

Codes related to 61304
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61305Cranial exploration, infratentorial approachExploratory cranial opening for the infratentorial region rather than the supratentorial region.No office rate
Used instead
61312Hematoma evacuation, supratentorial, extra- or subduralUsed for evacuation of a supratentorial extradural or subdural hematoma.No office rate
61313Hematoma evacuation, supratentorial, intracerebralUsed for evacuation of a supratentorial intracerebral hematoma.No office rate
61320Abscess drainage, supratentorial, open approachUsed when the supratentorial operation drains an intracranial abscess.No office rate

61304 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 61305?

This code describes exploration above the tentorium, over the cerebral hemispheres. Code 61305 is for exploration below the tentorium in the infratentorial region.

Should this code be used when the surgeon evacuates a hematoma?

Choose a hematoma-specific code when evacuation is the procedure performed. For a supratentorial extradural or subdural hematoma, compare 61312; for an intracerebral hematoma, compare 61313.

What should the operative report establish?

Document the supratentorial operative location, the exploratory purpose, the approach, and the structures examined. Describe any therapeutic procedure performed so code selection reflects the actual operation.

Can modifier 50 be appended?

No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this cranial exploration; report the service once rather than as a bilateral procedure.

How are other same-session procedures paid?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in the same session are paid at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

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 61304PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,757 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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