CPT code 61320: Abscess drainage, supratentorial, open approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,837.05 for 61320 nationally in a facility.

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

What 61320 covers

This service involves opening the skull to reach and drain an intracranial abscess in the supratentorial compartment. A neurosurgeon typically performs it in an operating room when the collection requires open surgical access; material may be collected for culture as part of treating the infection. The anatomic distinction is whether the abscess lies above the tentorium, not its size or the side of the head.

Select this code when the operative report supports both open cranial access and drainage of a supratentorial abscess. Document the abscess location, approach, and drainage performed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the following 90 days. If multiple procedures are performed in one 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 service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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 61320 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

61320 rates by state

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

How the 61320 rate is calculated

Each of 61320’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 61320

61320 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

61320 compared with similar codes

How to choose

61321Abscess drainageInfratentorial approach

Both codes describe open drainage of an intracranial abscess; choose by location, with 61321 for the infratentorial compartment.

61750Brain biopsyWithout CT/MR guidance

This code describes open cranial drainage of a supratentorial abscess. 61750 describes stereotactic treatment of an intracranial lesion through a burr-hole approach.

61304Exploratory craniotomySupratentorial

61304 describes supratentorial exploration. Use 61320 when the operative service includes open drainage of a supratentorial abscess.

Codes related to 61320

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