CPT code 61305: Cranial exploration, infratentorial approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington, DC area

In Washington, DC area, Medicare pays $2,167.56 for 61305 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 61305 nationwide

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

What 61305 covers

61305 represents an exploratory cranial opening directed to the infratentorial compartment—the posterior fossa beneath the tentorium, including access around the cerebellum and brainstem. A neurosurgeon performs the craniotomy or craniectomy in an operating room when the operative objective is exploration rather than a defined evacuation or drainage procedure. Select the code by the compartment entered, not by the skin incision or the patient’s presenting symptom.

The operative report should identify the infratentorial target and document that exploration was the work performed. If the surgeon treats a specified hematoma or abscess, select the procedure code describing that objective instead. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code’s anatomy and descriptor.

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 Washington, DC area compares for 61305

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 61305 runs from $1,660.41 in Wisconsin to $2,589.05 in Miami, FL. Washington, DC area pays $2,167.56. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

61305 rates by state

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

See 61305 in every payment locality

How the 61305 rate is calculated

Each of 61305’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 61305

61305 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

Codes related to 61305

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

How 61305 has changed in Washington, DC area

Price 61305 for an earlier date of service

Where the Washington, DC area rate applies

Washington, DC area is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 1 cities and communities in District of Columbia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Washington

Browse all communities in District of Columbia

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